When chaos struck Israel on October 7, Attorney Beni Driefuss wasn’t leading an emergency agency, but within hours, his organization, Mifal Hapais, acted like one. In an interview with Jerusalem Post Communications and Media Strategist Inbal Ann Bouskila during the “Healing Israel: A Nation in Trauma” broadcast, Driefuss explained how thousands of young people and millions in funding were mobilized to support Israel’s strained local councils.
“In this unexpected war, we utilized all the resources available to us within the municipalities,” Driefuss said. With over 40,000 scholarship recipients active across the country, Mifal Hapais quickly redirected these participants into emergency roles. “In emergencies, they become the emergency response force of the local authority heads,” he added, citing their involvement in evacuations, cleanup efforts, and job creation for evacuees.
To help stabilize local councils immediately after the crisis, Mifal Hapais allocated 20 million shekels as emergency funding, giving critical breathing room until state support arrived. But Driefuss emphasized that financial aid was only the start. “The concern was that many populations would weaken and not endure,” he said. “These are not necessarily populations with financial difficulties, so we launched a program to strengthen the resilience of municipalities and communities.”
Thanks to its deep, ongoing relationships with municipal leaders, Mifal Hapais was able to act quickly and flexibly.
“We have unique capabilities to assist them without burdening them,” Driefuss said. He praised local initiatives, for example, a Jerusalem program for grieving grandmothers - “a population that often gets left behind,” as well as a tech-driven effort by Nahariya to identify vulnerable individuals outside the traditional support system.
Despite the scope of their efforts, Driefuss acknowledged limitations. “This is only a drop in the ocean. We are not a replacement for the state,” he said. “But even offering something small to these communities is tremendously meaningful.” He also stressed that building resilience must include all sectors of Israeli society.
Mifal Hapais, which distributes about one billion shekels every year, is shifting from physical infrastructure investments to programs that directly serve people. “The Board of Directors aims for its funds not only to build structures but also to shape communities,” Driefuss explained. This includes scholarships, food aid, educational and sports activities, and expanding public parks under the “Green Pais” initiative – because, as Driefuss said, “mental health must also be supported in public spaces.”
“If a municipality comes to us with a dream, we can help them with long-term plans and create bigger projects,” he concluded.
Written in collaboration with Mifal Hapais