Poverty rise by 19pc in Israel in 07

Poverty has become a growing problem in 'Israel' in 2007, according to a report released on Wednesday by a major Israeli charity group.
 
The number of families who asked for food assistance from the beginning of 2007 and through November rose by 19 percent compared with the same period of the previous year, said the report by Latet.
 
The report was released at the annual meeting of Latet members, which include 120 charitable organisations and associations, making the group the largest of its kind in 'Israel'.
 
At present, some 50,000 'Israeli' families receive monthly aid from Latet, which includes food packages, medicine and school support.
 
In 2006, there were 1.65 million poor Israelis, including 766,000 children, out of a population of just over seven million, according to the Israeli Insurance Institute, the government body that oversees social security issues in 'Israel'.