This piece was reprinted by OpEd News with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.
A new Tel Aviv-based Latet "alternative poverty study" revealed that 1.77 million Israelis are poor. About 850,000 children live in poverty, and 75% of impoverished Israelis miss meals because of cost, a 21% increase from 2009. In addition, 83% of poor children skip dental care, and 22% said their financial distress prompted suicide thoughts.
Moreover, 69% of poor people lack food nutritional security, meaning not enough to sustain good health. About 5% of children beg for money, 8% steal food of necessity, and half survive solely on "bread and spread."
Even employed individuals need help. Included are about 30% of the working poor as well as 60% of those unemployed, especially over three years.
Published annually, Latet "seeks to present the human face of (Israeli) poverty and the poor (who) hide behind the dry figures and statistics published by government institutions."
Executive Director Eran Weintraub said:
"Throughout the last decade, poverty in Israel has significantly increased. Social gaps widened and the obstacles to escaping poverty have increased. Netanyahu's macroeconomic neoliberal policy have improved the economy, but it abandoned and neglected (growing numbers of) people," Arabs and Jews.
"In any other enlightened place in the world, the failure of our anti-social policy would long have justified a civilian rebellion, but the poor in Israel have no political power. We hope to soon begin the change which will be a civilian protest that will lead the fight against poverty."
Latet works with 150 Israeli soup kitchens serving 60,000 of 223,000 poor families with 530,000 impoverished children. Israeli prosperity masks its dark side, hidden from the West, especially Americans fed one-sided Israeli propaganda, devoid of truth.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
2
1
1
