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17 Teves 5765 - December 29, 2004 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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NEWS
Israel Leads Western World in Child Poverty

By G. Kleiman

The economic condition of children in Israel is worsening according to figures in an annual statistical journal published this week by the Council for Child Welfare and submitted to President Moshe Katzav.

The report says that of the country's 2,253,000 children, 288,000 grow up in a home without a breadwinner and 68,000 grow up in households in need of Guaranteed Income supplements.

"The figures indicate that children are poorer, beaten more and neglected more," said Dr. Yitzhak Kadmon, chairman of the National Authority for Child Welfare, in response to the report. "The State of Israel has forgotten its children."

Israel won the dubious honor of first place among developed nations in the proportion of poor children, with 30.8 percent of children living under the poverty line compared to 26 percent of Mexican children, 19.7 percent of Turkish children and 15.4 percent of Polish children.

The statistics also show more than half of non-Jewish children in Israel (57.5 percent) live in poverty, almost triple the poverty rate among Jewish children (21.2 percent).

During the last three years there has been an enormous increase in juvenile delinquency. From 2000 to 2003 there was a sharp rise of 24.7 percent in the number of underage criminal files.

At the end of 2003, the number of children living under the poverty line was up to 30.8 percent compared to 29.6 percent the previous year. Despite the growth in poverty the number of families receiving Guaranteed Income decreased during 2003 from 300,000 to 262,000 due to stricter eligibility criteria. Similarly, despite the rise in unemployment in recent years, the number of children whose parents are eligible to receive unemployment benefits dropped from 117,000 in 2000 to 68,000.

In reaction to the findings, President Moshe Katzav said on Monday, "The State has failed in protecting yaldei Yisroel and has not fulfilled its obligations."

MK Michael Melchior (Meimad), chairman of the Knesset Committee for Child Rights, announced he would convene the committee as soon as possible for a meeting to review the Council for Child Welfare figures showing a marked decline in the living conditions of yaldei Yisroel. "It is unconscionable that in the State of Israel a third of all children live under the poverty line," said Melchior, adding that the Labor Party would ensure a change in national policy takes place by stressing increased funding for social welfare programs.

 

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