welcome Olim one and all! Children below poverty line? Surprise! Israelis think all olim from the west are coming over with suitcases full of cash and are ready to treat you like the suckers you are. Yup, get ready to get paid a quarter of what you are used to (no one cares about your higher education) and pay 4 times as much for everything in comparison to the west. Also expect zero help from the government who thinks that giving you a hundred nis per month per child is help and be prepared to pay through the nose for childcare if you plan on working more than half days. Also be prepared to take lots of time off work since the workforce and schools do not have the same holiday schedule (unlike in the west). LOL! but in spite of all that its still the best place on earth to live and B "H for coming here (home).

Stop succoring and coddling Arabs, and put the extraordinary amount of money that goes to them to the well-being of Jews. If the Arab spongers object -- well, they are free to leave Medinat Israel. No one's stopping them.

For cutting child benefits and bringing more and more children into poverty. I really hope his Knesset term is a one time thing and he goes back to being a journalist. Maybe when he does that again he can write an article on poverty in Israel as I am sure he has no idea on this subject. None of the elite families in Israel understand how people have to live on minimal wages and bring up a family!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love these types of articles that describe how 40% of the population lives in poverty and then the next day we read that 70% are travelling overseas during the summer.

probably because instead of expecting handouts they are working at all those menial jobs that are not good enough for the new Olim.

I think if you check your facts this issue is not so clear cut as you presume. Why is it the ultra religious/ harideem bring 12 kids in to this world and then expect our tax money to pay for this? They should go get a job and stop sponging off the state. They milk the system dry without contributing a sheckel. If you cant afford to provide for a large family then dont have so many kids in the first place. Do i expect you to pay for gas for my Mercedes ? So yes i do thank Mr Lapid for finally putting an end to this madness and gross injustice and for having the balls to stand up to these parasites.

unless a family arrived with money, olim always lived in poverty. there was a time when they lived in tzrifim, without running water or electricity. yet most of the children of those olim today have middle class lives. israel is a miracle. after a mere sixty five years, israel is a developed country with a growing economy. however, israel is not for every jew--certainly not for jews who are used to luxurious lives in the west. Israel is for those who are real zionists and who are willing to sacrifice western luxury to live freely as jews among other jews in a jewish state.

Olim come from all over the world and for all different reasons. A family coming from Western Europe or the US is much more likely to have money and the parents educated highly enough to get well paid jobs than somebody from Russia or South America. How did the family come to Israel? Were they part of a big program such as the one to bring over the Russians or did they come alone? Why did they come? I remember in the merkaz klita when I arrived there was an American there he had never visited before, he was not a ziionist, he was not a practising Jew although he was Jewish. His reason was he had just gone through a divorce and a business venture had failed so he lost everything he thought might be easier to start over in Israel than the US. He had no children but I am sure there are plenty of families who do come in hope of a better life so they have nothing when they arrive. Of course there are then the educated olim who just cannot manage to make ends meet for some reason and so they have no money and their children live in poverty but it is not as simple as just saying a quarter of olim children live bellow the poverty line.

The number of poors amongst the olim has DECREASED since 2010 .

the economy resembles a banana republic/big boys club.

Israelis born in Israel. What about Israeli bedouins? Israeli Arabs? These are citizens too... Israel is ridiculously busy with the jewish population only and disregards others.... then Israel wonders why there is so much hate and violence...

The article cites a difference of less than 2 percent between kids of olim and all Jewish kids. Olim often have to learn Hebrew & find their way here. 1st generation immigrants to any country do less well than their kids and grandkids will. Help them, but give them time.

You remind me, years ago in my old neighborhood, we had deli's, bakeries, a kosher butcher.. As the years went by, no deli's, bakeries, kosher butchers but, a lot more Dr's and Lawyers and CEO's all the children of these favorite and greatly missed old school times and businesses that are no more. I still smile when I remember , "My son the Dr.". I miss the deli food, nothing compares. Miss the stories and folks too. But, that was in one of the last Jewish ghettos in America, a time when Jews from all over E. Europe and past met in America and spoke Yiddish.... It seems so long ago.

So who are the immigrant families? Are they from Africa or America? It would make a difference in understanding the data here.