By GREER FAY CASHMAN
It is the duty of the government to assist Akim, President Moshe Katsav said on Thursday as he called on the public to give generously to the organization that cares for youngsters and adults with special needs deriving from mental disabilities and other developmental disorders.
Katsav and his wife Gila launched the current Akim fund-raising drive at Beit Hanassi, as they do each year, and gave the first donation to this year's campaign.
Katsav who spoke of the government's obligation to take care of weaker sectors of society, urged society as a whole not to reject people with special needs, but to help them integrate into the mainstream to the best of their abilities.