In a poignant session marking International Widows Day, the Knesset Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equality convened on Monday to spotlight the growing needs of widows and orphans in Israel, particularly in the wake of the ongoing war.
“The widows and orphans should not have to fight alone,” said MK Shelly Tal Meron (Yesh Atid), acting chair of the committee. “It is the responsibility of the state to be there for them. This is a mission for the entire Knesset, regardless of political affiliation.”
The meeting centered on a grim new report by the Sunflowers nonprofit, revealing that since October 7, 946 children have been orphaned, adding to Israel’s 30,000 existing orphans, the majority of whom have lost their fathers. The organization highlighted deep structural challenges facing widows, including economic instability, employment discrimination, and a lack of targeted state support.
“There is almost no legal or employment protection,” said Adv. Liat Klein Gantz, Sunflowers’ director of policy. “Behind every orphaned child is a mother carrying the entire burden alone.”
Speakers from across the political spectrum and civil society stressed the need for broader workplace protections, increased allowances, and mental health services. Calls were also made to assist civilian widows, who, unlike military widows, often fall through the cracks of Israel’s support systems.
MK Michal Woldiger (Religious Zionism) pointed to a growing crisis among young widows, many of whom are facing future fertility challenges. She introduced a bill to fund fertility preservation. “It takes time to recover and think about the future,” she said. “But there is no institutional response to this pressing need.”
Asif Tamam, founder of the National Orphans Speak initiative, gave an emotional account of growing up without parental support. “Since the age of 21, I have been erased by the State of Israel,” he said. “I am an independent orphan—unrecognized and unaided.”
Representatives from the Israel Women’s Network also described the bureaucratic hardships widows face when attempting to claim their legal rights. Women who were separated or divorced from their spouses before the war have seen their benefits dramatically reduced, despite profound personal losses.
At the meeting’s close, the committee urged local authorities to establish support frameworks for widows and called on the Ministry of Education to provide greater assistance to orphaned pupils. MK Meron vowed to continue the discussion and pledged that women legislators across party lines would champion the issue going forward.
