Tens of thousands of Holocaust survivors enduring poverty in Israel

dpa German Press Agency Published: Sunday April 15, 2007

Tel Aviv- At least a quarter of an approximate 250,000
Holocaust survivors in Israel were living below the poverty level,
the Chairman of the International Association of Holocaust Survivors
Noah Flug said Sunday.
Some estimates put the number at closer to a third of all
survivors. In Israel the poverty line for a single person is
approximately 2,000 shekels (486 dollars)a month.

Flug sad that the Israeli government and Germany were responsible
for the poverty of the survivors. Most of them were borderline cases
in bureaucratic terms which meant that they did not qualify for
compensation or were only entitled to meagre amounts, he said.

Many had arrived in Israel from the former Soviet Union during the
last 20 years.

In response to the report, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said
Sunday that it was Israel's duty to ensure that anybody who had
survived the horrors of the Holocaust could live out their lives in
dignity in Israel.

Ceremonies to mark Holocaust Memorial Day were due to begin in
Israel on Sunday evening.

© 2006 - dpa German Press Agency

Comment Here