Alex Fridman

{{Infobox person

| name = Alex Fridman

| image = אלכס פרידמן יושב ראש ומייסד עמותה רשומה - נכה לא חצי בן אדם.jpg

| alt = Alex Fridman, Chairman and founder of "Disabled, Not Half a Human Being", an Israeli Organization

| caption =

| native_name = אלכס פרידמן

| native_name_lang = he

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1988|04|05}}

| birth_place = Pinsk, Belarus

| citizenship = Israel

| occupation = Screenwriter

| party = Likud

| years_active =

| known_for =

| notable_works =

| website = [https://www.alexfridman.co.il Alex Fridman]

}}

Alex Fridman ({{langx|he|אלכס פרידמן}}; born April 5, 1988) is an Israeli disability rights activist, who founded the association Disabled, Not Half a Human Being ({{langx|he|נכה, לא חצי בן אדם}}), which aimed to raise the disability pensions in Israel.

Early life

Fridman was born and raised in Pinsk, Belarus. In 1990, at the age of two, he immigrated to Israel with his family. As a child, he had serious health problems, and in 1996 was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy which was SMA type 2. Over the years, it has led to the paralysis of almost his full body. In 2000, due to further deterioration in the medical situation, he was forced to leave the regular educational framework and began to take lessons in his home. In those years, when he was bedridden, he began to study screen writing. In 2011, after two successful works which were published, he was invited to work with the Israeli Viva channel and created the blog novel The Final Trap.{{Cite web|author=Alex Fridman|url=https://viva.walla.co.il/item/1819636|title=המלכודת הסופית: פרק 7|trans-title=The Final Trap: Chapter 7|website=viva.walla.co.il|date=May 2011 |language=he|access-date=2019-06-09}}{{Cite web|url=https://tags.walla.co.il/%D7%91%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%92%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%91%D7%9C%D7%94|title=ארכיון הכתבות על בלוגנובלה|trans-title=Archive of articles of the blog novel|website=tags.walla.co.il|language=he|access-date=2019-06-09}}

Social activity

=Establishment of ''Disabled, Not Half a Human Being''=

In 2015, Fridman began a campaign, under the slogan Disabled, Not Half a Human Being, to raise the disability pension in Israel, one of the lowest in OECD countries.{{Cite web|author=Shelly Levy, Senior Research Coordinator|url=https://www.knesset.gov.il/mmm/data/pdf/m02699.pdf|title=General Disability Pension in Israel|website=Knesset|language=he|date=November 2, 2010|access-date=June 17, 2018}} The campaign found support from some celebrities,{{Cite web|author=Galit Gutmann and Yoav Limor|url=https://www.mako.co.il/tv-new-day/selected_scenes/Article-f99b03386acfa41006.htm|title=Disabled protest on the network: 'Disabled, Not Half a Human Being'|website=Mako|language=he|date=January 18, 2015|access-date=June 20, 2018}} and led Fridman to initiate a rally in Rabin Square with the participation of dozens of different artists.{{Cite web|author=Bat-El Benjamin|url=http://www.20il.co.il/%D7%9B%D7%AA%D7%91%D7%94-%D7%9E%D7%97%D7%90%D7%AA-%D7%94%D7%A0%D7%9B%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%A1%D7%95%D7%97%D7%A4%D7%AA-%D7%90%D7%AA-%D7%94%D7%A8%D7%A9%D7%AA/|title=The protest of the Disabled is sweeping the net|website=Channel 20|language=he|date=August 22, 2016|access-date=June 17, 2018}}{{Cite web|author=Telem Yahav|url=https://www.yediot.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-4899499,00.html|title=The politicians got used to the disabled being silent|website=Yedioth Ahronoth|language=he|date=December 27, 2016|access-date=June 20, 2018}} The campaign went viral.

In December 2015, MK Ilan Gilon proposed a bill for a disability pension at the Minimum Wage level, but the proposal did not pass.{{Cite web|author=Knesset Announcements|url=http://main.knesset.gov.il/News/PressReleases/Pages/press021215-0m6.aspx|title=Declined in preliminary: Equalizing the disability pension to the minimum wage|website=Knesset|language=he|date=December 2, 2015|access-date=June 18, 2018}}

Fridman addressed the chairman of the Knesset, Yuli-Yoel Edelstein and asked him to promote direct negotiations with the Cabinet of Israel. Edelstein mediated between Fridman and his team and Welfare Minister, Haim Katz, CEO of the Ministry of Finance, Shai Babad, CEO of the National Insurance Institute, Shlomo Mor-Yosef, and the Commissioner for Equal Rights for People with Disabilities, Achiya Kamara.{{Cite journal|author=Hanan Tal|url=https://www.themarker.com/opinion/1.4496819|title=How did a 27-year-old disabled person from Yavne become the most strongman in the state|journal=TheMarker|language=he|date=October 8, 2017|access-date=June 18, 2018}}

In April 2016, Fridman founded the Disabled, Not Half a Human Being association, which champions a nonpolitical struggle to equalize disability benefits and to promote additional rights for people with disabilities in Israel.{{Cite web|url=https://www.guidestar.org.il/organization/580625986|title=נכה לא חצי בן אדם, ע"ר|trans-title=Disabled, Not Half a Human Being, a registered voluntary association|website=guidestar|language=he|access-date=2019-06-09}}

=Amending the Laron Law=

In August 2016, following negotiations with the Finance Ministry and a protracted struggle, the government decided to allocate 300 million ILS for the purpose of increasing disability allowances and amending the Laron Law.{{Cite web|url=https://www.btl.gov.il/About/news/Pages/ArchiveFolder/2016/mitve.aspx|title=מתווה להקצאת 300 מיליון ש"ח למקבלי קצבאות נכות|trans-title=An outline for the allocation of 300 million ILS to recipients of disability pensions|website=National Insurance Institute of Israel|language=he|access-date=2019-06-09}}{{Cite web|url=http://brookdale.jdc.org.il/en/seminar-of-laron-law/|title=Laron Law in a Seminar on Integration of People with Disabilities in Employment|website=Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute|date=October 17, 2017|access-date=June 19, 2018}} The move drew criticism among disabled people, who claimed that the discrimination discriminates between those with different degrees of disability and is not significant. Fridman welcomed the move, saying that this indicated a change in the government's approach to the handicaps of disabled people, but expressed reservations about the decision to allocate significantly lower amounts than expected. As a protest, Fridman initiated the Millionaires' Parade, a protest march that took place inside the Azrieli Mall in Tel Aviv,{{Cite web|author=Disabled, Not Half a Human Being|url=https://www.facebook.com/lohetzi/posts/1151512084914850|title=Millionaires' Parade|website=Facebook|date=August 31, 2016|access-date=June 18, 2018}}{{Primary source inline|date=December 2018}} and then blocked the nearby Menachem Begin Junction with other activists.

The cooperation between Fridman and Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and his team continued in order to promote the establishment of a professional committee to discuss the situation of the disabled in Israel. In December 2016, Fridman met with Yaron Zelekha and convinced him to volunteer for his organization and to provide professional economic advice.{{Cite web|author=Miki Haimovich|url=http://reshet.tv/item/news/the-system/season-05/episodes/season-03-episode-05-544730/|title=The System Season 5 Episode 3|website=Reshet 13|language=he|publisher=minute 32:50 and on|date=January 2, 2018|access-date=June 18, 2018}} A month later, in January 2017, Fridman met with Kahlon, and suggested that Zelekha, who was familiar with the issue of allowances from his past position as the Accountant General, would submit conclusions on the subject.{{Cite web|author=Alex Fridman|url=http://www.myavne.co.il/%D7%A0%D7%9B%D7%94-%D7%9C%D7%90-%D7%97%D7%A6%D7%99-%D7%91%D7%9F-%D7%90%D7%93%D7%9D--%D7%90%D7%9C%D7%9B%D7%A1-%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%93%D7%9E%D7%9F-%D7%9E%D7%A1%D7%91%D7%99%D7%A8|title=Disabled, Not Half a Human Being: Alex Fridman explains|website=MYavne|language=he|date=October 15, 2017|access-date=June 18, 2018}} On August 2, 2017, Fridman and his organization together with other disabled people demonstrated outside the home of Bitan, claiming that he had not kept his promise.{{Cite web|author=Tal Carmon|url=http://www.davar1.co.il/79346/|title=Disabled people do not give up|website=Davar1 ("In the first place")|language=he|date=August 2, 2017|access-date=June 18, 2018}} Fridman's organization held demonstrations, blocking roads throughout the country. In one of them, the demonstrators were prevented from demonstrating at a political conference organized by the prime minister in Ashdod, five protesters arrested, and police reported that demonstrators had taken violence against the police and threatened to set themselves on fire. The demonstrators claimed that the police used unreasonable force. Fridman expressed his condemnation of all violence, especially against the disabled demonstrators.{{Cite web|author=Sarah Levi|url=https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Protesters-on-Highway-4-demand-higher-wage-for-the-disabled-502395|title=Protesters on Highway 4 demand higher wage for the disabled|website=The Jerusalem Post|date=August 14, 2017|access-date=June 18, 2018}}{{Cite web|author=Almog Ben Zikri and Lee Yaron|url=https://www.haaretz.co.il/1.4346546|title=Police arrested five disabled people at a demonstration for disability pensions in Ashdod|website=Haaretz|language=he|date=August 14, 2017|access-date=June 18, 2018}}

=Supreme Court efforts=

Fridman has also sought to raise disability allowances in the legal arena through a petition to the High Court of Justice against the Knesset and the government, which was submitted in cooperation with the Roof Organization of the disabled (which included some 30 organizations), and retired judges of the District Court, Tzipora Baron and Bracha Ofir-Tom.{{Cite web|author=Lee Yaron|url=https://www.haaretz.co.il/.premium-1.4149311|title=The disabled organizations petitioned the High Court of Justice against the state following the postponement of raising the allowances|website=Haaretz|language=he|date=June 6, 2017|access-date=June 20, 2018}} In response, the Knesset's legal department asked the court to reject the petition because "the disabled did not prove that it was impossible to live off their pension, which stands at 2,342 ILS".{{Cite web|author=Natalie Metuku|url=https://www.kan.org.il/Item/?itemId=21463|title=The Knesset: The disabled did not prove that the disability pension was insufficient|website=Kan|language=he|date=August 9, 2018|access-date=June 18, 2018}} On June 18, 2018, chief justice Esther Hayut cancelled the petition in the High Court. She adjudicated that the disability pension had already been raised by legislation, and the petition should be corrected due to this raise.{{Cite web|author=Lee Yaron|url=https://www.haaretz.co.il/news/education/.premium-1.6180928|title=The High Court of Justice ordered the cancellation of the petition of disability organizations to equalize the disability pension to the minimum wage|website=Haaretz|language=he|date=June 18, 2018|access-date=June 18, 2018}}

=Raising the disability pension=

On September 5, 2017, the chairman of the Histadrut, Avi Nissenkorn, met with Fridman and representatives of other disability organizations as well as heads of actions and of the big unions, and declared their support for the outline of Professor Zelikha with a budget of 4 billion ILS. On September 28, 2017, Nissenkorn, MKs Ilan Gilon and David Bitan, Avi Simhon, Fridman and several other disabled representatives gathered for a meeting that lasted more than 12 hours, and presented an outline, based on Zelekha's outline, with two significant changes: an addition of 150 million ILS to 50,000 disabled children and a linkage to the average wage in the economy. At the end of the meeting, a compromise agreement was reached within the framework of a budget of 4.2 billion ILS.{{Cite news|author=Amir Alon|url=https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5022695,00.html|title=Agreement reached, disability pensions will be raised|website=Ynetnews|date=2017-09-29|access-date=2018-06-15}}

After months in which the government delayed the enactment of the agreement, Fridman announced on January 11, 2018, that protests would be renewed.{{Cite news|author=Amir Alon|url=https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-5069527,00.html|title=Disabled people launch a Campaign: Netanyahu did not stand the word|website=Ynet|language=he|publisher=Length 0:42 minutes|date=January 11, 2018|access-date=June 18, 2018}} Fridman and 34 leading social organizations signed a letter to Kahlon with the title "Expect net actions", with a requirement to pass the law.{{Cite news|author=Amir Alon|url=https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-5069527,00.html|title=Social organizations to Kahlon: Pass the law on raising allowances in January|newspaper=Ynet|language=he|date=January 23, 2018|access-date=June 18, 2018}} On February 12, 2018, the law passed the second and third readings in a budgetary framework of 4.34 ;billion ILS and entered the law book in Israel.{{Cite web|author=Lidar Gravé-Lazi and Lahav Harkov|url=https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Knesset-passes-bill-for-NIS-434-billion-increase-in-disability-allotments-542481|title=Knesset passes bill for NIS 4.34 billion increase in disability allotments|website=The Jerusalem Post|date=February 13, 2018|access-date=June 22, 2018}}{{Cite web|author=Knesset Announcements|url=http://main.knesset.gov.il/News/PressReleases/Pages/press12.02.18gv.aspx|title=Finally approved: Raising the disability allowances|website=Knesset|language=he|date=February 13, 2015|access-date=June 22, 2018}} At the end of March 2018, after many protests, the disability pension was raised from 2,342 to 3,272 ILS a month.{{Cite web|url=https://www.btl.gov.il/About/news/Pages/ArchiveFolder/2018/nechut201803.aspx|title=העלאת קצבאות הנכות|trans-title=Increase of disability pensions|website=National Insurance Institute of Israel|language=he|access-date=2019-06-09}}

In October 2024, Fridman struggled against the will of the minister of finance, Bezalel Smotrich, to freeze the raising of the disability allowances in 2025.{{Cite web|author=The website system|url=https://www.myavne.co.il/מחאת-הנכים-מתחדשת|title=מחאת הנכים מתחדשת|trans-title=Disabled people renews|website=Myavne.co.il|language=he|date=2024-10-29|access-date=2024-11-28|quote=Alex Friedman, a founder and chairman of Disabled, Not Half a Human Being: "The Minister of Finance leaves us no choice. He is taking advantage of the fact that these are sensitive days, in which we mourn our fallen heroes every day, and of course the danger of our public going out to the street and being caught in a barrage of missiles without being able to take a shelter. At the same time, the possibility of being left without basic food in the refrigerator is no less difficult. Therefore, if necessary, we will fight with full force, even at the cost of risking our lives".}}{{Cite news|author=Sharon Kidon|language=he|url=https://www.ynet.co.il/economy/article/bjqhuncl1e|title=סמוטריץ' קורא להיכנס מתחת לאלונקה? האלונקה פסחה על הנכים לפני 20 שנה|trans-title=Smotrich calls people to get under the stretcher? The stretcher passed over the disabled people, 20 years ago|website=Ynet|date=2024-10-29|access-date=2024-11-28}}{{Cite news|author=Hadar Gil-Ad|language=he|url=https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/s1f11vngb1x|title=גזר דין מוות לאנשים עם מוגבלות: מחאת הנכים מתחדשת, על רקע קיצוצי התקציב|trans-title=Death sentence for people with disabilities: Protest by disabled people renews, amid budget cuts|website=Ynet|date=2024-10-31|access-date=2024-11-28|quote=Alex Friedman, a founder and chairman of the Disabled, Not Half a Human Being organization, said ahead of the government meeting to approve the state budget: "I call on the Minister of Finance to come to his senses. Freezing disability benefits during wartime and the rising cost of living, combined with the VAT increase and other decrees – are a death sentence for the disabled public".}} The planned freeze has been canceled.{{Cite web|author=Commission for Equal Rights of Persons with Disabilities|language=he|url=https://www.gov.il/he/pages/news-04-11-24|title=בוטלה הקפאת קצבאות הנכים שתוכננה ל-2025|trans-title=The freeze of the disability allowances planned for 2025 has been canceled|website=Ministry of Justice|date=2024-11-04|access-date=2024-11-28}}

=Biographic documentary and Knesset aspirations=

File:Not Half A Human Being 2018.webm's face, 2018.]]

In June 2018, three students of Ort Shapira high school{{Cite web|author=Ort|url=https://shapira.ort.org.il/%D7%9E%D7%93%D7%99%D7%94-%D7%95%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%A1%D7%95%D7%9D-3/|title=New Media and Advertising|website=Shapira Ort|language=he|access-date=October 30, 2018}} in Kfar Saba made a documentary film about Fridman as their matriculation work.[https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-5301928,00.html "This has to be a struggle for all of us as a society"] (Hebrew), Ynet, July 3, 2018. The film was directed by May Moran and described Fridman's childhood and advocacy in the Knesset. The film ended by showing the vote in the Knesset in February 2018. Moran was shown towards the end of the film, sitting alongside Fridman in a group photo.

On December 31, 2018, Fridman said that he would run for the twenty-first Knesset.{{Cite web|author=Tal Carmon|url=https://www.davar1.co.il/167212|title=Joining the race|website=Davar1|date=December 31, 2018|access-date=December 31, 2018}}{{Cite news|author=Inbar Tvizer|url=https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-5437731,00.html|title=The leader of the protest of the disabled people establishes a party: I will not be a lovely disabled|website=Ynet|date=December 31, 2018|access-date=December 31, 2018}} On February 19, 2019, Fridman joined Yisrael Beiteinu as the 12th member in its list of candidates.[https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-5466654,00.html "Was not presented on stage with fellow party members – due to accessibility issues"], Ynet, February 20, 2019. The party won five seats.

In July 2022 Fridman joined the Likud party and ran to the 25th Knesset elections.{{cite web|author=Jerusalem Post staff|website=The Jerusalem Post|title=Disability rights activist Alex Fridman announces Likud run|url=https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-713015|date=2022-07-25|access-date=2024-11-28}}

Awards

Fridman was chosen as one of the people of the year in the social sphere of Yediot Aharonot (2016).{{Cite web|author=Alex Fridman|url=https://www.yediot.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-5022969,00.html|title=Campaign of attrition is ended|website=Yedioth Ahronoth|language=he|date=October 1, 2017|access-date=June 18, 2018}}

One of the heroes of the year of Israel Today (2016).{{Cite web|author=מערכת האתר|url=https://www.myavne.co.il/אלכס-פרידמן--התרגשתי-מאוד|title=אלכס פרידמן: "התרגשתי מאוד"|website=Myavne.co.il|language=he|date=2018-12-03|access-date=2025-01-15}}

One of the influential in the economics magazine {{ill|Liberal (magazine)|lt=Liberal|he|ליברל (מגזין)}} (2017).

Man of the Year in the television program {{ill|Paula and Leon|he|פאולה וליאון}} (2017).{{Cite web|author=Paula and Leon|url=https://www.facebook.com/paulaANDleon.keshet12/posts/752493684936562|title=Man of the Year in the Paula and Leon TV program|website=Facebook|language=he|publisher=Length 7:11 minutes|date=December 31, 2017|access-date=June 18, 2018}}{{Primary source inline|date=December 2018}}

One of the torchlighters of the Jerusalem Festival of people with Special Needs ("Tzamid") on the occasion of Israel's 70th Independence Day (2018).{{Cite web|author=Events in Jerusalem|url=https://www.jerusalem.muni.il/en/Visitors/EventsInJerusalem/Pages/Tzamid.aspx|title=Tzamid – The 2018 Special Needs Festival|website=Jerusalem Municipality|date=June 10, 2018|access-date=June 18, 2018}}{{Cite web|author=Ynet|url=https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-5281104,00.html|title=The Tzamid Festival: 70 Years and still a War of Independence|website=Ynet|language=he|date=June 11, 2018|access-date=June 18, 2018}}

In September 2018, Calcalist chose Fridman among the hundred people who most influenced the world in 2018, stating: "Fridman stood out not only because of his sense of purpose, but because he made the most powerful media of the disabled people – his Facebook page, from which his organization has increased" (2018).{{Cite web|author=Shachar Ilan|url=https://www.calcalist.co.il/local/articles/0,7340,L-3745441,00.html|title=The hundred most influencing people in 2018|website=Calcalist|language=he|date=September 5, 2018|access-date=September 6, 2018}}

In October 2018, Fridman was also chosen as one of the most ten influential immigrants from the Soviet Union upon the Israeli society, by the newspaper Vesti (2018).{{Cite web|author=Vesty|url=https://www.vesty.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-5365567,00.html|title=4. Alex Friedman: "People in wheelchairs changed the country"|website=Vesti|language=ru|date=October 16, 2018|access-date=October 30, 2018}}

On November 1, 2018, in a "Man of the Year 2018" ceremony, which was made by Channel Nine at Gesher Theater in Jaffa, Fridman, who was a candidate of the community benefit, won the prize (2018).{{Cite web|author=Channel Nine|url=http://9tv.co.il/news/2018/11/01/263554.html|title=On the ninth – "Man of the Year" – Channel 9 awards presented in Jaffa|website=Channel Nine|language=ru|quote=The Israeli economic publication Calcalist included Alex Friedman in the list of the 100 most influential people in the world, where he was the only Israeli representative of the Russian-speaking community.|date=November 1, 2018|access-date=November 2, 2018}}

On December 3, 2018, the United Nations' International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Fridman got a certificate of appreciation from {{ill|Zvi Gov-Ari|he|צבי גוב-ארי}}, the mayor of Yavne, his city (2018).