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Last update - 16:43 14/02/2008 Shas: We won't stay in a gov't that scrimps on Israel's children By Ruth Sinai and Yair Ettinger, Haaretz Correspondents Tags: Israel, poverty report Deputy Prime Minister and Shas Chairman Eli Yishai on Thursday threatened to leave the government after report showed that disturbing numbers of children live below the poverty line. "We (Shas) will not remain in a government that scrimps on the children of Israel. Even National Insurance Institute experts say the only solution is to reinstate pension payments," said Yishai. Nearly 45 thousand Israelis slipped below the poverty line in 2007, including 30 thousand children, according to the NII's biannual poverty report that was released Thursday. Advertisement The report, which focuses on the first six months of 2007 shows that the poverty rate in Israel continued to rise from 24.4 percent in 2006 to 24.7 in 2007. According to the report, 1,674,800 Israelis are now below the poverty line which stands at a monthly income of NIS 2,028 per person and NIS 5,191 for a family of four. 804 thousand children live in poverty in Israel. In 2006, 35.2 percent of children in Israel lived in party. In 2007, the percentage rose to 35.8 percent. The number of families living in party also rose in 2007, from 20 percent to 20.5 percent, reaching a total of 420 thousand families. On Sunday, the government will receive a report which recommends additional ways to measure poverty in Israel, in manners that are not necessarily income-based. The rise in poverty during a period of strong economic growth points to the significant rise in inequality in Israel. Despite the fact that, on average, wages have risen in the past year the report shows a growing number of 'working poor' families as most wage workers no longer earn a high enough salary to cover the costs of living. Of the 'working poor' families in which there is one earner, the poverty rate rose from 22.6 percent to 24 percent. Among families in which there are two earners, the poverty rate rose from 3.1 percent to 3.5 percent. The jump in the number of people living in poverty is also due to the fact that stipends and government benefits only rose by half a percent while the cost of living rose much more. According to the report, poverty has risen among both Jews and Arabs. The number of Jewish families under the poverty line rose from 14.7 percent to 15.2 percent while the number of Arab families living in poverty rose from 54 percent to 54.8 percent. This is the first time that the Welfare Ministry did not call a press conference in order to announce the results of the poverty report. Labor MK Shelli Yachimovich said in response to the report that the most disturbing statistic was the rising number of working poor. "This dangerous trend is due to the transfer to contract workers and manpower agencies that pay barely subsistent wages that makes the drop in unemployment irrelevant," Yachimovich said. Meretz MK said that the situation is catastrophic and pushes the poor away from the rest of society. "It is inconceivable that there are 800,000 poor children in Israel and the education budget didn't rise from last year," NRP-National Union MK Uri Ariel said. Related articles: Government report: 1.65 million Israelis living below poverty line Study: Number of needy asking for food has doubled last 5 years Over half of Jerusalem children are living in poverty Bookmark to del.icio.us   'We lost a great leader' Dignitaries honor the only Holocaust survivor to serve in the U.S. Congress. Deadly incursion A mentally disabled Palestinian dies of wounds sustained in a West Bank IDF arrest raid.   1.   Shame, Shame 14:53  |  Sam 14/02/08   2.   Sam, tragically, it is 15:53  |  Yaakov Sullivan 14/02/08   3.   Meanwhile back at the ranch 16:31  |  Danite 14/02/08   4.   Smoke and Mirrors...Egal Zahav (Cash Cow) 16:49  |  Frank 14/02/08   5.   Shas Will Leave if Jerusalem in talks, if talks while Sderot hit, 17:19  |  Ben K 14/02/08   6.   Shas - enough with your threats. Nobody is taking you seriously 17:27  |  Harry 14/02/08   7.   Danite: How do you explain settlers who still live 17:27  |  Avi 14/02/08   8.   Maybe Yishai should tell his people to stop having 15 kids! 17:41  |  B`Galil 14/02/08   9.   Let the German pay for this 17:42  |  Dav 14/02/08   10.   Shas threatens again 17:42  |  Jose` 14/02/08   11.   Bull feathers. Shas will stay in any government that 17:43  |  J.Johnson 14/02/08   12.   Yaakov the Crocodile 17:56  |  Ofer Maimon 14/02/08   13.   Shas is full of it. 18:23  |  Saba Avraham 14/02/08   14.   Message to Shas 18:36  |  Ivan Israel 14/02/08   15.   Vying with David Levy For Most Threats to Resign 18:37  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 14/02/08   16.   #1 and #2 18:45  |  Séamus 14/02/08   17.   No, Seamus, your logic is faulty 19:20  |  Yaakov Sullivan 14/02/08   18.   Shas is a Party of the Working Beleivers 19:58  |  Yechiel 14/02/08   19.   SHAS SUPPORTS GOVT THAT LETS CHILDREN BE BOMBED IN SDEROT???))))) 20:38  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 14/02/08   20.   What else needs to happend 20:49  |  Rav Akiva 14/02/08   21.   The Shas won`t leave 21:11  |  Gee 14/02/08   22.   13 Saba Avraham...Amen,amen, amen. Could not have said it better. 23:02  |  bat yam 14/02/08   23.   Seamus 00:05  |  Sam 15/02/08

Today Online Nasrallah: Blood of Mughniyah will lead to Israel's elimination Responses: 274 Israeli embassies on high alert following Mughniyah killing Responses: 71 Yossi Melman: It's not whether Hezbollah will respond, but how Responses: 97 Ballistic expert: Israel ignoring option of U.S. anti-rocket system Responses: 109 Shmuel Rosner: Israel has always been involved in U.S. elections Responses: 34 Rosner's Domain The U.S. and Mughniyah / Not just 'who' but also 'where' Most blatant example of Israeli interference in American election How Lantos was different (WTR) Poll: Was killing Mughniyah both justified and wise? Guest: Bush is a friend very wise and courageous More Headlines 00:18 Livni: Israel knows how to handle Hezbollah threats 23:06 Nasrallah: Mughniyah's blood will lead to elimination of Israel 21:21 Dignitaries honor Tom Lantos; Livni: World lost a great leader 22:35 Damascus: Syrians to sue U.S. for selling weapons to Israel 15:33 IDF bombs Gaza buildings used for launching rockets at Israel 19:10 French President sparks row over religion, Holocaust studies 22:40 UN examines damage caused by Qassam rockets, Israeli sanctions 22:28 Hamas delegation visits Egypt, demands Rafah crossing be reopened 21:47 Gazans celebrate Valentine's Day as Hamas looks the other way 21:01 Brazilian FM: Assad ready to launch dialogue with Israel 16:10 Ballistic expert: Israel ignoring option of U.S. anti-rocket system 20:50 Mentally disabled Palestinian dies of wounds sustained in IDF raid 23:07 Condition improves for Sderot boy severely injured by Qassam Previous Editions Select Day 14 feb 13 feb 12 feb 11 feb 10 feb 08 feb 07 feb 06 feb 05 feb 04 feb 03 feb 01 feb

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