Speaking on Channel 10's early morning program this morning, Minister of Finance Yair Lapid defended the government's record and that of his Yesh Atid party. "There is change, and it's visible. It's visible in many things, such as the core curriculum, and people will continue to see change as long as we are in the government. We have brought next year's construction budget forward to this year, we have used excess tax collection to cancel the rise in income tax and to provide day camps during school holidays, and other things."

On Holocaust survivors, Lapid said, "We are adding a further NIS 30 million for medicines for Holocaust survivors. As it happens, this is coming into effect today. Since I took office, we have allocated an additional NIS 600 million for Holocaust survivors, and we have introduced other, smaller measures."

What about dental treatment for children?

"If I have money for dental treatment, it will go to the over-70s and not to fourteen year olds. The children's parents are responsible for them and they have to look after them."

A survey has been published showing that 75% of Israelis are dissatisfied with the minister of finance's performance.

"Not everything can be changed in a day. We made promises and we will keep them, but it takes time. It will happen. It's hard work and it's slow."

Does it sometimes happen that you are in a meeting with senior ministry officials and don't understand what they're talking about?

"Yes. So I ask. Good economists are easy to understand."

Lapid added that, "It’s a mistake to build in the territories. We're doing good things but we're not getting credit for them because we are doing other things that aren't good. There's a good, functioning government that should be kept in place."

Can you say when the middle class will start to feel a little better off?

"I think that people already feel that way. Unemployment in Israel is low at present. We're doing everything we can to bring down prices; we'll try to cut NIS 300-400 from Israeli families' monthly expenditure on food. I'm doing what I believe in. We're focused on housing prices and food prices, and, according to the Ministry of Housing, there will be change in housing prices as well."

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on December 29, 2013

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