On December 13, 2018, Latet (an Israeli aid organization) released a report based on surveys of the Israeli public that more than 2.5 million Israelis (31.6%) are living in poverty.
Latet: One of every three children and one of every four Israelis is poor.
4% of the senior citizens receiving state support said that their old-age allowances either did not enable them to fulfill their basic living needs in dignity, or did so only partially, about the same proportion as last year (92.2%). 66.7% of the senior citizens receiving state support said that they were unable to properly maintain their health because of their economic situation, and 89.8% percent were unable to make payments for nursing, compared with 85.7% in 2017. 70.9% of those receiving state assistance reported being swamped with debt, compared with 77.4% last and 34.1% of the general population in 2017. 48.9% of those receiving assistance reported having a bank account blocked or attached for debt, a bailiff's action, or lawsuits, compared with 8.4% of the general population. 50.7% of those receiving state aid reported lacking a properly working air-conditioner or heating at home, or being unable to afford to operate it. 11.5% of those receiving assistance had attempted to commit suicide, or had planned to do so in the past year, because of economic distress, down from 18% in 2015.
The above figures are a bit overwhelming; however, they confirm that such ministries are not only needed but also commanded by us as believers in Yeshua. My hope is to continue to expand and help others to establish such places to share the love of God.
CHILD WELFARE EXPERT: TOO MANY ISRAELI CHILDREN LIVE IN POVERTY:
Israel's leaders frequently say that the nation's children are the future and that nothing is more important, but the state doesn't do enough to give credence to such claims, Vered Windman, head of the legal department of the National Council for the Child, declared on Mon. 7 Jan. 2019. Her frustration was expressed following the presentation to President Reuven Rivlin of the annual statistical report on children in Israel. Speaking at the President's residence, Windman said that the state has failed to close social gaps, and that more than 300,000 children in Israel are at risk. "Over the past year", she continued, "there was a 50% increase in the number of cases of abuse and neglect that were confided to social workers. During the 19 years in which I have been associated with the NCC, budgets for child welfare have been limited by bureaucracy and various national priorities, and there were never sufficient funds for child welfare projects which were invariably given low priority", she said. "As is the unfortunate case every year, there is a very high ratio of children living in poverty. Of the three million children living in Israel, 865,00 are living below the poverty line, and two out of every three haredi and Arab children are living in poverty. Moreover, 340,000 children from low socio-economic backgrounds are directly at risk in terms of neglect and abuse, especially sexual abuse of which there has been a significant increase over the past year," said Windman. (J.Post)
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