Pobreza en Israel

A new survey has shown that the number of poor people in Israel has increased severely, while the Palestinian economy has collapsed, causing serious child malnutrition in the occupied territories.

This report from David Chazan:

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.

David Chazan, BBC

the occupied territories
Los territorios palestinos ocupados por Israel

poverty
pobreza

struggling to make ends meet
(Figurativo): "apenas llegan a fin de mes"

below the poverty line
debajo de la línea de pobreza

tripled
se triplicó

battered
seriamente dañada

taken a nose-dive
se fue a pique

the bursting of the high-tech bubble
"la explosión de la burbuja de alta tecnología", cuando varias compañías de alta tecnología e internet cayeron en la bolsa

dealt a severe blow to Israel
dieron un duro golpe a Israel

settlements
en este caso, asentamientos judíos construidos en los territorios autónomos palestinos