Tzedakah (Charity) in Israel

21st
JUL

Poverty in Israel’s oulying areas

Posted by admin under Getting By In Israel, Perspective, Poverty in Israel, Solutions to Poverty, Unemployment, What can THEY do

This Jewish Federation analysis of the poverty in Israel’s outlying areas is very thought-provoking.

The Galilee: a highly fertile and agricultural region of Israel with rain a distinctive feature
The Negev: comprising about half of Israel’s land area, sparsely inhabited, its population supported by an agricultural and industrial economy

These underdeveloped and resource-starved regions comprise 75% of Israel’s landmass, yet only 30% of Israel’s population lives in those areas. Lack of job opportunities and poor public transportation has had the effect of turning these areas into a socio-economic periphery as well as a geographic one. Both regions lag far behind the center of the country in terms of education, standard of living and economic growth.

* While 70% of Israelis think the Negev has a promising future, only 16% said they would consider moving there themselves. (Market Watch survey)
* According to data presented at the Galilee Conference in 2007, while many polls show that the Israeli public believes the quality of life in northern Israel is one of the highest in the country, they also believe job opportunities are scarce. Read the rest here.