U.S./Zionist Genocide Also Results in Worsening Socio-Economic Conditions in Israel
In its 2024 Alternative Poverty Report the Israeli humanitarian organization Latet examines the socioeconomic repercussions of the war on Gaza. According to the report, millions of Israelis are grappling with poverty and economic challenges, including one million settlers.
Latet found that 678,200 families (22.3 per cent) and 2,756,000 individuals (28.7 per cent) are living in poverty, including 1,240,000 children (39.6 per cent).
It reports that the economic situation has deteriorated for 65 per cent of Israeli aid recipients, and for 32.1 per cent of the general public over the past year. Additionally, children in families receiving benefits have been significantly affected by the war: 44.6 per cent in terms of academic achievements and 46.7 per cent in their psychological condition.
As for the elderly, 52.6 per cent of those supported by the government suffer from severe poverty, while more than a third of them (34.8 per cent) experience severe food insecurity.
Furthermore, 84.8 per cent of aid recipients suffer from energy shortages, 68.6 per cent report that their mental health is poor, and 70.8 per cent have forgone purchasing necessary medications and medical treatment. Additionally, the monthly expenditure of supported families is 1.7 times higher than their average income.
Further evidence of the gravity of the situation is the fact that 94.2 per cent of food aid organizations did not receive government support to meet the needs arising from the war, and 70.9 per cent reported a decrease in donations.
In this context, the Israeli Srugim website reported that the minimum monthly cost of living in Israel is 5,355 shekels per individual (CAD$2123.97) and 13,617 shekels for a household of two adults and two children (CAD$5401.13) and that most supported families are far from reaching this threshold.
The economic forecasts for 2025 indicate that the situation will worsen due to sharp increases in the prices of essential goods.
According to economist Jacques Bendelac, quoted by Al Mayadeen, settler families have been unable to pay off their debts and loans, particularly amid the current circumstances. This means the recovery of Israel's "consumer economy" will be "slower and more challenging" after the war. High living costs, combined with an economic slowdown, would "inevitably lead to an increase in poverty," Bendelac said.
Founder Eli Cohen of the organization Pitchon-Lev, or "Open Heart," which provides free baskets of fruits, vegetables, and meat twice a week, stated that since the war began, the organization's activities have more than doubled, and it is now supporting nearly 200,000 families across occupied territories. New beneficiaries include "young individuals, families with husbands serving as reservists, many former donors, and all those who were evacuated from northern settlements due to the ignition of the northern front."
This article was published in
Volume 54 Number 49 - December 20, 2024
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2024/Articles/TS54493.HTM
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