constantly tout itself as a world leader in just about everything....also as a most "compasionate" people and country...yet does not give anything of any substance to its citizens or children?...is it out of being cheap?...or do only the wealthy count in israel?

There are no poor children, there are only poor parents who can't take care of their children. my father died at a young age and my mother had to takecare of her two children and her parents without any help from any body. We as children didn't know we were poor because my Mother and Grandmother knew how to cook and survive the economic down turn and get out of it by working hard.

We have the lowest birth rate and highest education rate. Both jews and muslims can learn from us.

The poor children are mostly Haredi children. The law is that if a Haredi doesn't serve in the army, he can't work. The Left makes it impossible for them to serve by giving unkosher food and forcing them to cohabit with women. When Netanyahu wants to change the law so they can work even if they did not serve, the Left condemns him. When they do serve, the Left calls them a dangerous fifth-column. When they don't serve, the Left calls them parasites even though most Leftists and Arabs also don't serve. The Left should come clean: this is not about poverty or justice: the Left simply want to eliminate the Haredim and the Jews of Judea and Samaria.

There is tons of work in Israel but no one wants to work because of welfare. In fact there are over 50K Filipinas in Israel taking care of children and the elderly. Have all these elderly people all lost their kids that strangers from afar have to take care of them? No, its because Israelis in general are lazy buggers who feel someone owes them a living. Thus you have the BS about poverty etc. Its all crap made to suck more money out of a government that is basically broke. You want to have money...get to work...make a business and bust you ass like most of us have done here in the golus over the past 40 years.

with a head-of-household who refuses to work? As they breed wildly, so too will the poverty numbers go up.

I'm sorry but I disagree with you Rami. Since when is having children a negative thing? How does it help if Christians have high academic standards but don't have children to pass the standards and values of Christianity on to?

But , as far asw known to me , NOT in State offices or places . No private entrepreneur will refuse him , if he has the capacities . But if he wants to "study" unnecassary subjects that will never bring him a livelihood , then he is to blame . Why can ultra Orthodox Jews make a living abroad ? Are they less observant ? No , they receive no state money , and do not live as schnorrers .

cause for poverty.Nineteen (extended) families pretty much control the economy in Israel preventing others to open viable businesses or to find work which pays commensurate with skills and qualifications. This was the reason for the social protests earlier in summer and fall. This situation affects adults (and their children) whether they be liberals (left) or conservatives (right) and the protests included people residing on the Yishuveem where the most conservative Israelis dwell as well as in Tel Aviv where the most liberal Israelis reside. It is a phenomenon which effects all of us. This report on the poverty re Israeli children is astonishing. It cannot be dismissed by blaming it all on the Charedi or Arab sector nor by the usual foghorn blasts of "Go out and get a job you lazy bums!" No, the high prices of everyday needs in Israel, foodstuffs and housing and taxes as well is killing the nation and, eventually, will destroy us from within. Many young and talented adults emigrate due to the inability to make any headway in the country. This is a dangerous situation.

Ifyou studied the wealth of the galus evenamongst the not rich the uppermiddle class which represent 2 million galut jews they could give ten thousand dollars a year easy which is for the one million adults ten billion dollars which is at least five thousand dollars to israels poor after costs.So its a disgrace the indugency the complacency the corruption and moderately severe psychological pressure is needed for the galut not to digrace itself especially from the upper middle class up .

And that, my friends, is exactly the problem... A complete lack of leadership... Only these pompous powershxits.

Would like to know what percentage of children living in poverty come from Haredi families? Are they also malnourished and have disabilities because their mothers are also exhausted from having too many children and go without food themselves?