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Poverty Increases In Israel

While Israel has enjoyed much increase in 2019, end of the year poverty figures reveal that some 2.3 million Israelis, including one million children, live beneath the poverty line. Additionally, child poverty has climbed by two percentage points, from 27.1% to 29.1%. Poverty among the elderly also increased, from 17.2% to 18.8%. The report also found that nearly one-fifth of Israelis, over 1.6 million people suffer from food insecurity, a 2-point increase over the previous year. It warned that those trends will likely increase again this year and accused the government of “a continued policy that forsakes a quarter of Israeli citizens and a third of its children.” Vered Windman, executive director of the Israel National Council for the Child, said the report showed the failure of the government’s economic and social policies. She also blamed the lack of a functioning government over the past year amid repeated elections. “There must be a dramatic change in Israel’s socioeconomic policy which dooms almost one in three children to lacking health, education, and welfare and harms their human dignity.” She warned that such disparities “will have far-reaching social consequences in the future.” The latest children’s poverty rates place Israel as second to the highest in the OECD, countries with only Turkey ranking higher.  The poverty line in Israel is defined as an income of NIS 3,593 ($1,040) a month for singles and NIS 5,750 ($1,664) for couples. The poverty crisis is compounded by the fact that the cost of living in Israel is among the highest of developed nations. (VFI News)

Please continue to help us at VFI to ease the very real hurt and distress of poverty in Israel.  Strained government budgets are due in part to Israel’s high-security needs. Additionally, the allocation of funds for welfare programs are presently being stalled and impacted by the ongoing lack of a functioning government and the high cost of repeated elections.  We at VFI continue to be deeply concerned for, and dedicated to, assisting underprivileged children, the elderly and entire families who are beloved of the Lord. Please continue to enable us to be expressions of His heart and hands. We need and appreciate your donations at: www.visionforisrael.com. “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.” Prov. 19: 17