News Stories - Poverty in Israel
 
Two-thirds of Palestinians in the occupied territories live in poverty. But an increasing number of Israelis too are struggling to make ends meet as their country's economy declines.

A Bank of Israel survey has now shown that the number of families living below the poverty line in Israel tripled between 1988 and 2001. In the past three years, Israel's economy has been battered by the second intifada or Palestinian uprising. Tourism has taken a nose-dive. And the bursting of the high-tech bubble in the United States and other western countries in 2000 dealt a severe blow to Israel.

Opposition parties are increasingly criticising the government of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for what they say is excessive spending on settlements in the occupied territories.
 
- vocabulary:
the occupied territories: Palestinian areas which are under Israeli control
poverty: if you live in poverty you are very poor
struggling to make ends meet: finding it difficult to pay for for the things they need

below the poverty line: in poverty
tripled: increased three times

battered: badly damaged

taken a nose-dive: fallen very sharply
the bursting of the high-tech bubble: the time when lots of Internet companies lost a lot of money
dealt a severe blow to Israel: hit Israel very hard




settlements: here, Jewish homes built on the West bank and Golan Heights

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