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Last update - 20:41 31/03/2008 Third of Israelis so poor they must forgo some essential foods By Ruth Sinai, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Poverty, Israel, welfare More than a third of Israelis are in such difficult financial straits that they forgo buying essential foods in order to be able to buy other needed goods, a government report released on Monday showed. The finding, based on National Insurance Institute figures, was part of the report compiled by an inter-ministerial committee and presented by Welfare Minister Yitzhak Herzog. The panel was set up to study "nutrition insecurity" among Israeli citizens, a concept defined as lack of regular access to nourishing food by acceptable means (such as purchasing in stores), and in sufficient amounts. Advertisement "The state of Israel must safeguard its character as a welfare state, and, as such, must bring about a solution to the problem of nutrition insecurity among some of its citizens, a problem which has widened in recent years," Herzog said Monday. He said the state should increase at least tenfold its funding for non-governmental organizations which provide food for the needy. The panel recommended that the some 500 non-governmental organizations involved in food aid be regulated, in order to ensure the quality of the food and to make certain that all geographical areas and sectors of the population are being served. At the same time, it advised that governmental aid to the NGOs be increased to NIS 30-50 million a year, from a present level of NIS 3.3 million. As reported in Haaretz in may 2007, Herzog weighed the possibility of issuing food stamps to the needy, with the government buying up surplus food from producers and farmers in order to supply them to poor people, a system practiced in the United States. But experts objected to the plan, and the committee, headed by Welfare Ministry Director-General Nahum Itzkovitz, rejected it. Bookmark to del.icio.us   The gift of dignity T.A. charity provides female drug addicts with shower, meal and counseling. Sign of life Hamas leader says Gilad Shalit is still alive after two years in captivity.   1.   but you got nukes and weapons and wall 14:57  |  priorities? 31/03/08   2.   Or in other words 15:12  |  SJ 31/03/08   3.   ISREAL FOR THE RICH & PROMINENT 15:23  |  Pestalozzi 31/03/08   4.   Statistics???? 15:45  |  Incredulous 31/03/08   5.   lower and lower 15:49  |  jj burke 31/03/08   6.   Government and Zionist organization takes from the poor 16:18  |  El-Birawi 31/03/08   7.   #4 - where do you live - Tel Aviv? 16:37  |  daveed 31/03/08   8.   Third of Israelis so poor. 16:39  |  Marlene 31/03/08   9.   what are the essencial foods in question? 16:49  |  Yoseph Leib 31/03/08   10.   Most of the poor are arabs. 17:33  |  david 31/03/08   11.   The Price for living a permanent war 18:46  |  Kris Lazar 31/03/08   12.   #4 19:21  |  Yonason Herschlag 31/03/08   13.   And a $34 million apartment (accompanying story)... 19:27  |  bat yam 31/03/08   14.   1/3 of Israelis are so poor they forgo essential foods 19:51  |  Millicent 31/03/08   15.   Third of Israelis so poor ... 20:01  |  JJ Gros 31/03/08   16.   To #15 20:22  |  Frank 31/03/08   17.   God helps those who help themselves 20:25  |  Jehiel Chaleff 31/03/08   18.   statistics ???? 20:27  |  jehiel chaleff 31/03/08   19.   Painful 20:38  |  Esther 31/03/08   20.   But, hey!, we have a 250mil NIS bridge we can look at !!! 21:03  |  eddie - Haifa 31/03/08   21.   christian 21:18  |  wh 31/03/08   22.   Frau Merkel like to help the poor in Israel! 21:33  |  Dav 31/03/08   23.   Self-inflicted poverty 21:40  |  Yonatan 31/03/08   24.   #12 Yonason Hirschlag - I have no pity on you 21:49  |  Yonatan, who works 31/03/08   25.   And the World is Condemning Israel over Gaza? 07:29  |  Magnify 01/04/08

Today Online Jerusalem council okays 600 new Jewish homes in Arab area Responses: 258 Yishai: Israel must negotiate with Hamas over Shalit release Responses: 150 Editorial: Peace talks, even on Jerusalem, must be secret Responses: 62 MK Swaid: Demolition of Arab homes will lead to an explosion Responses: 68 Rosner's Domain New Guest: Rabbis who don't officiate intermarriage should refer to rabbis who do Poll: What percentage of Jews will vote McCain? 38% for pressuring Palestinians, 25% for pressuring Israel (WTR) Can McCain get a boost from the new dovish Jewish lobby? More Headlines 05:38 Russia's UN envoy: Moscow summit would energize peace process 07:31 Hamas: IDF special forces kill two militants in Gaza raid 05:42 Barak heeds Rice call, reverses course to back PA border plan 09:58 Carcinogenic materials found in 2 additional F-16I fighter jets 05:50 Hamas TV puppet 'kills' Bush as revenge for U.S., Israeli actions 05:56 Vatican looks to assuage Jews' anger over controversial prayer 06:08 U.K. archives shed light on female spy who led anti-Nazi resistance 05:53 PMO to bear financial cost of Israel Radio's Farsi broadcasts 03:57 Coming soon - kosher financial instruments 04:16 Palestinians approve $3.337 billion draft budget for 2008 04:42 Restless Druze employ boycotts, arson to combat cellular antennas 04:52 Court extends remand of Ramle couple suspected of abusing their eight children 05:00 How did the bee cross the road? Via a bee bridge, of course Previous Editions Select Day 31 mar 30 mar 28 mar 27 mar 26 mar 25 mar 24 mar 23 mar 21 mar 20 mar 19 mar 18 mar

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