1 may 2016
INS Rahav
Although relations between the offices of Merkel and Netanyahu are strained, the security relationship with Germany is Israel's most important after the US.
The Israeli-German relationship experienced problems over the weekend as it ran over a political pothole. The German weekly Der Spiegel published that the German government was weighing the possibility of withdrawing from Chancellor Angela Merkel's obligations to maintain Israel's security and right to exist as Germany's top priority.
Senior politicians from the governing parties told the weekly that the German government has the impression that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is taking advantage of Germany's obligations to Israel and that his government's current policies in the West Bank are making finding a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict more difficult without contributing to the preservation of Israel's Jewish and democratic character.
Even 71 years after the Second World War, any damage such as this in relations is overly charged. For all these years, with the cloud of history hovering above, Germany has taken pains to fund a significant portion of Israel's security expenditures.
In exchange for its financial contributions, the German government apparently expected to receive better treatment by Netanyahu and a larger influence on his policies. According to Der Spiegel, it did not receive this.
Submarines, ships, missiles—and guilt
Just a fortnight ago, a new peak was reached in German-Israeli security relations: the commander of the Israeli Air Force (IAF), Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel, received an extraordinary honor from Berlin when he was awarded the Bundeswehr Gold Cross of Honor from the German ambassador to Israel, Dr. Clemens von Goetze, and the commander of German Air Force Inspector Gen. Karl Müllner. According to an IAF statement, the ambassador stated when awarding the medal, "Our two air forces operate more closely and in a more trustful way than ever in times characterized by normal security challenges."
Beneath the diplomatic statements and against the background of the political tension between Merkel and Netanyahu's offices as revealed over the weekend, the medal revealed a small amount of Israel's most important security relationship with a foreign country besides the United States.
Germany (then West Germany) and Israel's security relationship began in the 50s, largely against the background of and following processes that led to the Reparations Agreement. Initially, these relations were kept secret, and only after the establishment of official diplomatic relations in 1965 did they become public.
Over the years, these relations included the exchange of military information and providing weapons, principally, but not exclusively, from Germany to Israel. In recent years, the trend of Israeli weapon sales to the German army, particularly to the air force, has grown. This trend included the leasing last year of enormous Eitan drones to Germany in the amount of millions of dollars.
Thus it was last year when the deal to purchase four German patrol ships by the Israeli Navy was signed, at a price of 1.8 million shekels, a third funded by Germany. These are the largest, most powerful and most advanced warships in the IDF's fleet. Officially, their objective is defending the gas rigs, but, in practice, the Navy can apparently use them for a variety of defensive and offensive purposes, both in times of war and peace.
The Navy of course received an additional, significant piece of German industry: the submarine fleet that it controls today. This consists of five submarines, three of which are the relatively older Dolphin model, received at the end of the 1990s and beginning of the 2000s. Two additional submarines were added in the last year—the INS Tanin and INS Rahav—at a cost of half a billion dollars each. The two of them are more than ten times more stealthy underwater than their predecessors. In another three years, a sixth German submarine is to join them.
In recent years, the European media have reported that Israeli companies were selling to Germany defense systems for airplanes in trilateral and quadrilateral deals with additional countries. According to foreign reports, one may add to those Germany's purchase of advanced Spike missiles, produced by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, for use by local land forces.
Training together aerially
The security connection between the countries also includes operational knowledge. In the last decade, joint training by the IDF and the German armed forces has increased, particularly between the air forces, including joint fighter plane exercises over the Mediterranean. In the last year, it was even agreed for the first time that Israeli combat helicopter pilots would travel to Germany for training, which will include training on the German Tiger helicopters, and a reciprocal German delegation will undergo similar training on Israeli fighter helicopters.
Sources in the IAF noted the importance of cooperation with Germany. Head of Helicopters Air Division Brig. Gen. Yaron Rozen stated last year on the IAF's website, "From an historic perspective, there is extraordinary importance to the very existence of cooperation, for professional meetings between the air forces and particularly for personal relationships between German officers and Israeli officers."
Maj. Ayalon of the Air Division added, "In recent years, the significant development of cooperation has begun, including joint learning at every level, squad exchanges, joint training and courses, operational dialogue, dialogue on topics of maintenance, and expanded dialogue on training issues."
Although relations between the offices of Merkel and Netanyahu are strained, the security relationship with Germany is Israel's most important after the US.
The Israeli-German relationship experienced problems over the weekend as it ran over a political pothole. The German weekly Der Spiegel published that the German government was weighing the possibility of withdrawing from Chancellor Angela Merkel's obligations to maintain Israel's security and right to exist as Germany's top priority.
Senior politicians from the governing parties told the weekly that the German government has the impression that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is taking advantage of Germany's obligations to Israel and that his government's current policies in the West Bank are making finding a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict more difficult without contributing to the preservation of Israel's Jewish and democratic character.
Even 71 years after the Second World War, any damage such as this in relations is overly charged. For all these years, with the cloud of history hovering above, Germany has taken pains to fund a significant portion of Israel's security expenditures.
In exchange for its financial contributions, the German government apparently expected to receive better treatment by Netanyahu and a larger influence on his policies. According to Der Spiegel, it did not receive this.
Submarines, ships, missiles—and guilt
Just a fortnight ago, a new peak was reached in German-Israeli security relations: the commander of the Israeli Air Force (IAF), Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel, received an extraordinary honor from Berlin when he was awarded the Bundeswehr Gold Cross of Honor from the German ambassador to Israel, Dr. Clemens von Goetze, and the commander of German Air Force Inspector Gen. Karl Müllner. According to an IAF statement, the ambassador stated when awarding the medal, "Our two air forces operate more closely and in a more trustful way than ever in times characterized by normal security challenges."
Beneath the diplomatic statements and against the background of the political tension between Merkel and Netanyahu's offices as revealed over the weekend, the medal revealed a small amount of Israel's most important security relationship with a foreign country besides the United States.
Germany (then West Germany) and Israel's security relationship began in the 50s, largely against the background of and following processes that led to the Reparations Agreement. Initially, these relations were kept secret, and only after the establishment of official diplomatic relations in 1965 did they become public.
Over the years, these relations included the exchange of military information and providing weapons, principally, but not exclusively, from Germany to Israel. In recent years, the trend of Israeli weapon sales to the German army, particularly to the air force, has grown. This trend included the leasing last year of enormous Eitan drones to Germany in the amount of millions of dollars.
Thus it was last year when the deal to purchase four German patrol ships by the Israeli Navy was signed, at a price of 1.8 million shekels, a third funded by Germany. These are the largest, most powerful and most advanced warships in the IDF's fleet. Officially, their objective is defending the gas rigs, but, in practice, the Navy can apparently use them for a variety of defensive and offensive purposes, both in times of war and peace.
The Navy of course received an additional, significant piece of German industry: the submarine fleet that it controls today. This consists of five submarines, three of which are the relatively older Dolphin model, received at the end of the 1990s and beginning of the 2000s. Two additional submarines were added in the last year—the INS Tanin and INS Rahav—at a cost of half a billion dollars each. The two of them are more than ten times more stealthy underwater than their predecessors. In another three years, a sixth German submarine is to join them.
In recent years, the European media have reported that Israeli companies were selling to Germany defense systems for airplanes in trilateral and quadrilateral deals with additional countries. According to foreign reports, one may add to those Germany's purchase of advanced Spike missiles, produced by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, for use by local land forces.
Training together aerially
The security connection between the countries also includes operational knowledge. In the last decade, joint training by the IDF and the German armed forces has increased, particularly between the air forces, including joint fighter plane exercises over the Mediterranean. In the last year, it was even agreed for the first time that Israeli combat helicopter pilots would travel to Germany for training, which will include training on the German Tiger helicopters, and a reciprocal German delegation will undergo similar training on Israeli fighter helicopters.
Sources in the IAF noted the importance of cooperation with Germany. Head of Helicopters Air Division Brig. Gen. Yaron Rozen stated last year on the IAF's website, "From an historic perspective, there is extraordinary importance to the very existence of cooperation, for professional meetings between the air forces and particularly for personal relationships between German officers and Israeli officers."
Maj. Ayalon of the Air Division added, "In recent years, the significant development of cooperation has begun, including joint learning at every level, squad exchanges, joint training and courses, operational dialogue, dialogue on topics of maintenance, and expanded dialogue on training issues."
Der Spiegel reports senior officials in the German government believe Netanyahu is 'instrumentalizing' Berlin's friendship, while the magazine quotes Merkel as saying she understands 'why President Abbas continually seeks out the Security Council.'
The German government is considering stopping its "unconditional support" of Israel, German weekly Der Spiegel reported on Friday.
Senior politicians of both ruling parties, the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and the joint Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union, told Der Spiegel that there is a concern in Berlin that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was "instrumentalizing" Germany's friendship.
"Israel's current policies are not contributing to the country remaining Jewish and democratic," Norbert Röttgen, a member of Merkel's Christian Democratic Union, told the weekly.
"We must express this concern more clearly to Israel," added Röttgen, the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Bundestag, Germany's parliament.
According to Der Spiegel, an evidence of a change in the German Foreign Ministry's attitude towards Israel is the refusal of then-foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier to grant Netayahu's request to raise objections to a document authored by the EU's foreign ministers that criticized the construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
"I'm counting on you," Netanyahu is quoted to have told Steinmeier at the end of his call to the German foreign minister.
Steinmeier, however, ignored the Israeli prime minister's pleas and threw Germany's support of the EU document, which states that "Settlements are illegal under international law, constitute an obstacle to peace and threaten to make a two-state solution impossible."
According to the weekly, this incident points to the weakening influence of Israel's friends within the German Foreign Ministry.
The Chancellery has also reportedly lost hope that Netanyahu would work to advance the peace process.
During a recent visit of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to Berlin, Chancellor Angela Merkel is quoted to have said, "I understand why President Abbas continually seeks out the Security Council."
Meanwhile, Merkel's foreign policy advisor Christoph Heusgen, who is pushing for Germany to distance itself from Israel, is mentioned in the report as a supporter of the EU settlement product labeling policy.
According to Der Spiegel, Netanyahu is solely responsible for the fact Israel's critics within the German government are gaining strength. The weekly makes repeated mentions of Merkel's anger at a report coming out of her recent meeting with Netanyahu in Berlin, according to which the chancellor said that "this isn't the time for a two-state solution."
Israeli officials countered that Merkel made the comments during an official press conference, and that the atmosphere during Netanyahu's last meet with Merkel was very positive.
One senior official in Jerusalem said in response to the report that relations between Israel and Germany remain close and positive and will continue to be so. "It appears the comments in the Der Spiegel story are an attempt inside Germany to slam Merkel for her close ties with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu," he said.
The German government is considering stopping its "unconditional support" of Israel, German weekly Der Spiegel reported on Friday.
Senior politicians of both ruling parties, the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and the joint Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union, told Der Spiegel that there is a concern in Berlin that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was "instrumentalizing" Germany's friendship.
"Israel's current policies are not contributing to the country remaining Jewish and democratic," Norbert Röttgen, a member of Merkel's Christian Democratic Union, told the weekly.
"We must express this concern more clearly to Israel," added Röttgen, the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Bundestag, Germany's parliament.
According to Der Spiegel, an evidence of a change in the German Foreign Ministry's attitude towards Israel is the refusal of then-foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier to grant Netayahu's request to raise objections to a document authored by the EU's foreign ministers that criticized the construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
"I'm counting on you," Netanyahu is quoted to have told Steinmeier at the end of his call to the German foreign minister.
Steinmeier, however, ignored the Israeli prime minister's pleas and threw Germany's support of the EU document, which states that "Settlements are illegal under international law, constitute an obstacle to peace and threaten to make a two-state solution impossible."
According to the weekly, this incident points to the weakening influence of Israel's friends within the German Foreign Ministry.
The Chancellery has also reportedly lost hope that Netanyahu would work to advance the peace process.
During a recent visit of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to Berlin, Chancellor Angela Merkel is quoted to have said, "I understand why President Abbas continually seeks out the Security Council."
Meanwhile, Merkel's foreign policy advisor Christoph Heusgen, who is pushing for Germany to distance itself from Israel, is mentioned in the report as a supporter of the EU settlement product labeling policy.
According to Der Spiegel, Netanyahu is solely responsible for the fact Israel's critics within the German government are gaining strength. The weekly makes repeated mentions of Merkel's anger at a report coming out of her recent meeting with Netanyahu in Berlin, according to which the chancellor said that "this isn't the time for a two-state solution."
Israeli officials countered that Merkel made the comments during an official press conference, and that the atmosphere during Netanyahu's last meet with Merkel was very positive.
One senior official in Jerusalem said in response to the report that relations between Israel and Germany remain close and positive and will continue to be so. "It appears the comments in the Der Spiegel story are an attempt inside Germany to slam Merkel for her close ties with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu," he said.
30 apr 2016
The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities is preparing legal procedures against an online Israeli antique store after it put up for sale a historical Egyptian painting allegedly confiscated by former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Dayan, the Ministry said on Saturday.
Dayan, who served as Israel’s Defense Minister in the 1960s and 1970s, was known for his passion for antiquities, and is believed to have illegally seized a large number of ancient artifacts while looting archaeological sites.
Shaaban Abd al-Jawwad, the ministry’s director of recovered antiquities, told reporters that the ministry was investigating documents related to the painting to find out how it came to be taken out of Egypt, and that it planned on taking all legal steps to halt the sale of the painting.
Abd al-Jawwad said that during the Israeli occupation of the Sinai Peninsula from 1967 to 1979, the Israeli army, led by archeologist Avner Goren, worked in the Hathor temple in Serabet al-Khadim, and “moved many artifacts from the temple to Tel Aviv.”
Only five artifacts from the temple have since been returned to Egypt, Abd al-Jawwad said.
Dayan, who served as Israel’s Defense Minister in the 1960s and 1970s, was known for his passion for antiquities, and is believed to have illegally seized a large number of ancient artifacts while looting archaeological sites.
Shaaban Abd al-Jawwad, the ministry’s director of recovered antiquities, told reporters that the ministry was investigating documents related to the painting to find out how it came to be taken out of Egypt, and that it planned on taking all legal steps to halt the sale of the painting.
Abd al-Jawwad said that during the Israeli occupation of the Sinai Peninsula from 1967 to 1979, the Israeli army, led by archeologist Avner Goren, worked in the Hathor temple in Serabet al-Khadim, and “moved many artifacts from the temple to Tel Aviv.”
Only five artifacts from the temple have since been returned to Egypt, Abd al-Jawwad said.
29 apr 2016
Tawfik Toubi
There was a time when 'Israeli independence' was the chief focus of the left’s leaders, Jews and Arabs alike.
It may be hard to believe nowadays, but there was a time when leftist Arab leaders in this country could rightly be called “Israeli freedom fighters.” In those days, the Arab left fought for Israeli independence and was not averse to a “Jewish state.” Accounts from that time offer much food for thought.
In August 1948, before the reunification of Maki (the Israeli Communist Party), Arab communists held a meeting in Haifa. Emile Habibi, a founder of the National Liberation League in Palestine and later a Maki MK, delivered a speech there. Kol Ha’am, the Maki journal, quoted his remarks: “The league will fight so that the Arab masses in Israel will become a democratic element that, together with the Jewish democratic forces, will fight for complete fulfillment of the United Nations resolution. Peace and independence of the Jewish and Arab state depends upon Jewish-Arab understanding.” The term “Palestinian” was not commonly used back then.
The festive unification gathering took place in October 1948 at the May Cinema in Haifa. The Davar newspaper quoted Habibi, who called for “ousting the Iraqi occupation army from Eretz Israel” and declared that the party would fight for the establishment of the Arab state “to safeguard the independence of the State of Israel.”
At the time, “Israeli independence” was the chief focus of the left’s leaders, Jews and Arabs alike. In his speech, Meir Vilner, a signatory to Israel’s Declaration of Independence, stressed his comrades’ contributions: “The great majority of our comrades are fighting in the ranks of the Israel Defense Forces. Many of our finest comrades were killed and wounded in battle as they set an example of brave and honest freedom fighters.”
He also cited the party’s contribution in recruiting international aid “for the State of Israel’s War of Independence,” noting that “just as the Arab masses wish to see the State of Israeli triumph over the invaders, the Jewish masses wish to see thwarted the imperialist plot to add on the Arab portion of Eretz Israel across the Jordan River.”
The party members’ contribution to Israel’s independence is revealed in a parliamentary question from MK Vilner in 1949 addressed to Prime Minister and Defense Minister David Ben-Gurion following the issuing of restraining orders and detention orders by the military governor against two party members – Ramzi Khuri, the Maki secretary in the Western Galilee, and Nadim Musa. The Al Hamishmar daily reported that Vilner made sure to say in his parliamentary question that these two party members “stood at the head of the Western Galilee underground against the Kawkaji gangs.”
During a January 1950 Knesset debate over the Defense Service Law, Maki members made a big impression with their speeches, according to Ma’ariv: “Tawfik Toubi stood out for his harsh words this time,” said the newspaper. Toubi had railed against the return to the country of Nimr Hawari, who headed an organization that worked against Israel. Toubi reminded the other Knesset members about Hawari’s past, about the speech he gave in Gaza in which he addressed the mufti, saying: “Under your flag, Mufti, we shall enter Tel Aviv and toss the Jews into the sea.” MK Toubi called for Hawari to be tried as a “war criminal.”
Six months later, in June 1950, Toubi came under attack from Arabs in the “administered territories.” According to a report from the Government Press Office, this occurred after the military governor issued Toubi an entry permit for the Arab village of Tira. As Toubi toured the village, he “was attacked by a group of local residents who pelted him with tomatoes and splashed ink on him. A fist fight broke out between his supporters and opponents, and sticks and knives were brandished as well.” The report goes on to say that “Mr. Toubi found refuge in the home of the military governor, who assigned five police officers to guard him and escort him until he left the village.
Like they say – those were the days.
There was a time when 'Israeli independence' was the chief focus of the left’s leaders, Jews and Arabs alike.
It may be hard to believe nowadays, but there was a time when leftist Arab leaders in this country could rightly be called “Israeli freedom fighters.” In those days, the Arab left fought for Israeli independence and was not averse to a “Jewish state.” Accounts from that time offer much food for thought.
In August 1948, before the reunification of Maki (the Israeli Communist Party), Arab communists held a meeting in Haifa. Emile Habibi, a founder of the National Liberation League in Palestine and later a Maki MK, delivered a speech there. Kol Ha’am, the Maki journal, quoted his remarks: “The league will fight so that the Arab masses in Israel will become a democratic element that, together with the Jewish democratic forces, will fight for complete fulfillment of the United Nations resolution. Peace and independence of the Jewish and Arab state depends upon Jewish-Arab understanding.” The term “Palestinian” was not commonly used back then.
The festive unification gathering took place in October 1948 at the May Cinema in Haifa. The Davar newspaper quoted Habibi, who called for “ousting the Iraqi occupation army from Eretz Israel” and declared that the party would fight for the establishment of the Arab state “to safeguard the independence of the State of Israel.”
At the time, “Israeli independence” was the chief focus of the left’s leaders, Jews and Arabs alike. In his speech, Meir Vilner, a signatory to Israel’s Declaration of Independence, stressed his comrades’ contributions: “The great majority of our comrades are fighting in the ranks of the Israel Defense Forces. Many of our finest comrades were killed and wounded in battle as they set an example of brave and honest freedom fighters.”
He also cited the party’s contribution in recruiting international aid “for the State of Israel’s War of Independence,” noting that “just as the Arab masses wish to see the State of Israeli triumph over the invaders, the Jewish masses wish to see thwarted the imperialist plot to add on the Arab portion of Eretz Israel across the Jordan River.”
The party members’ contribution to Israel’s independence is revealed in a parliamentary question from MK Vilner in 1949 addressed to Prime Minister and Defense Minister David Ben-Gurion following the issuing of restraining orders and detention orders by the military governor against two party members – Ramzi Khuri, the Maki secretary in the Western Galilee, and Nadim Musa. The Al Hamishmar daily reported that Vilner made sure to say in his parliamentary question that these two party members “stood at the head of the Western Galilee underground against the Kawkaji gangs.”
During a January 1950 Knesset debate over the Defense Service Law, Maki members made a big impression with their speeches, according to Ma’ariv: “Tawfik Toubi stood out for his harsh words this time,” said the newspaper. Toubi had railed against the return to the country of Nimr Hawari, who headed an organization that worked against Israel. Toubi reminded the other Knesset members about Hawari’s past, about the speech he gave in Gaza in which he addressed the mufti, saying: “Under your flag, Mufti, we shall enter Tel Aviv and toss the Jews into the sea.” MK Toubi called for Hawari to be tried as a “war criminal.”
Six months later, in June 1950, Toubi came under attack from Arabs in the “administered territories.” According to a report from the Government Press Office, this occurred after the military governor issued Toubi an entry permit for the Arab village of Tira. As Toubi toured the village, he “was attacked by a group of local residents who pelted him with tomatoes and splashed ink on him. A fist fight broke out between his supporters and opponents, and sticks and knives were brandished as well.” The report goes on to say that “Mr. Toubi found refuge in the home of the military governor, who assigned five police officers to guard him and escort him until he left the village.
Like they say – those were the days.
26 apr 2016
The Israeli Shabak on Monday announced the launch of a plan to restrict Palestinians’ access into 1948 Occupied Palestine.
The Israeli Maariv newspaper said the position opted for by the Shabak stands in sharp contrast to the recommendations given by the Israeli occupation army to provide Palestinians with more permits as an efficient strategy of deterrence and control.
The newspaper added that the Shabak agency believes that limiting Palestinians’ access to permits will help quelling anti-occupation activism through a policy of “the stick and the carrot.”
Over recent days, the Israeli occupation authorities rescinded entry permits for thousands of Palestinians without prior notifications and under the security pretext.
The Israeli Maariv newspaper said the position opted for by the Shabak stands in sharp contrast to the recommendations given by the Israeli occupation army to provide Palestinians with more permits as an efficient strategy of deterrence and control.
The newspaper added that the Shabak agency believes that limiting Palestinians’ access to permits will help quelling anti-occupation activism through a policy of “the stick and the carrot.”
Over recent days, the Israeli occupation authorities rescinded entry permits for thousands of Palestinians without prior notifications and under the security pretext.
24 apr 2016
A new UNICEF report reveals that Israeli children are not only the poorest children in Western countries, but their parents also suffer from the greatest income inequality.
They don't go to friends' birthday parties because they cannot buy gifts. They don't participate in extracurricular activities or tell their parents about school trips in order not to upset their parents, who cannot afford to pay for such programs. Sometimes they go to bed hungry and fear they will not have anything to eat.
The most difficult aspect of their life is that they feel they are worthless and hopeless. UNICEF's new report reveals that Israel's children are not only the poorest among children in Western countries, but also their parents suffer from the greatest income inequality.
The report presents an overview of inequality and well-being of children in 41 Western countries between 2010 and 2014, compares children at the bottom of the poverty line to middle class children, and finally examines how low we let them fall - in terms of income, health, living conditions, and education. According to the data, Israel lags far behind other Western countries.
"All children deserve an equal opportunity to reach a fair start," write the authors of the report. "Social inequalities among adults may be justifiable if they have arisen through fair competition and under conditions of equality of opportunity. But when it comes to children, the social and economic circumstances they face are beyond their control, and so differences in merit cannot reasonably be advanced as justification for inequalities among them.
In addition, few dispute that childhood experiences have a profound effect not only on children’s current lives, but also on their future opportunities and prospects. Likewise, social and economic disadvantages in early life increase the risk of having lower earnings, lower standards of health and lower skills in adulthood. This in turn can perpetuate disadvantage across generations. None of this is the fault of the child."
The level of inequality among Israel's children in terms of health stands at 38 percent. Almost one third of children in Israel complain about physical ailments such as headaches, sore throat, abdominal pain, irritability, difficulty falling asleep, dizziness and other undiagnosed pains.
Education in Israel is ranked 33rd out of 37 OECD countries according to the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests, which evaluate literacy, mathematics, and science.
Israel's children also scored poorly in life satisfaction. The gap between the poorest children and middle class children is among the highest in the Western world - ranked 31st out of 35 countries. Despite a small improvement compared to the 2002 UNICEF report and a two percent increase in the 2010 UNICEF report, the gap between Israel's wealthiest and poorest children increased. 7.7 percent of Israeli children reported a satisfaction level of 4 or less on a scale of 1 to 10, while the average child in most Western countries reports a satisfaction of 8.
Sticky floor
"We are talking about a term called the sticky floor - the policy and social behavior leaves the lower classes low and does not allow them to climb and to improve their situation," says Jonny Cline, UNICEF Israel chairman. "The situation in Israel is the result of policies that were used for years - but what the data in the report shows the ability of policies to influence the hope for the future and the possibility to change this trend." The report demonstrates how other countries have reduced disparities and granted their children, born in lower socioeconomic classes, more equal opportunities. For instance, Japan has made long-term investment in child allowances, allowing less fortunate layers of its population to fend off poverty.
Meanwhile, Israel still has not managed to overcome political debates to ensure future improvement. The political immaturity and unwillingness to overcome political factionalism have prevented Israel from taking the bold steps required to confront this crisis. Israel has a huge pool of data to draw from other countries and can understand from it what has been effective in reversing these negative trends.
"It is important to understand that it is not that the rich that are getting richer as the poor become poorer, it's just the opposite. As the poor are getting poorer, the strength of the strongest is also damaged. UNICEF does not come as a regulating body, but as a body that reflects the comparative situation. When Israel signed the CRC, it promised to improve the situation of children in Israel and fulfill their rights. We are here to help Israel implement programs that will enable it to meet this promise.The red flags have fluttered for decades, and now it requires a governmental decision to create a master plan for future generations, to improve the situation in cooperation between the state and the citizenry," said Cline.
The leader of the report, Dr. Sudhanshu Handa, the chief of the Social and Economic Policy Unit at the UNICEF Office of Research, also hopes to see reform in the national programs. "This (report) allows countries to compare themselves to countries that are in the same economic environment and examine their policies," he explains. "For working purposes, we collected the information from databases that exist in every country and we have built an indicator that reflects inequality."
"In education, for example, we examined the results of the PISA tests conducted worldwide among students aged 15. For the fields of health and life satisfaction index we used the HBCS, the international survey on the welfare and health of youth," Handa said.
"This research which is carried out every four years among children aged 11, 13 and 15 around the world explores topics such as relationships with friends, family, use of social media, alcohol use and smoking, eating habits and physical activity, life satisfaction and satisfaction from education. The interesting part of this year's report is that in three of the four examined categories - health, life satisfaction and education - the information was obtained from the children themselves," he added.
What is the most important thing we can learn from this study?
"Some countries did better than others in maintaining low gaps between poor children and middle-class children. In other words, governments can make a difference for children with social policies. Countries or countries that have changed social policies in the health sector have seen significant improvements in healthy eating habits of children and measures of physical activity. In education we found that inequality diminishes - the kids at the bottom come closer to the children at the center," Handa said.
Why has Israel fallen to the bottom of the list in many categories?
"Israel is really far behind in all categories. Israel has a unique context and some of the reasons are known: it is the minorities who study in various different settings such as the Arabs and the ultraorthodox. But every country suffers from such incredible inequalities. Israel should give this some consideration. Even in my country, the United States, this is a very important issue. We see children who come from a poor background go to poor schools that perpetuate poverty," he continued.
What can we do better in Israel?
"We need to make sure that there is a good system of integration. Sweden recorded a significant increase in inequality and the reason is the growing immigrant community. I'm not an expert on Israel, but Israel must examine from which countries it can learn. In the United States, for example, there is a program called Headstart, which aims to prepare pre-grade school children of lower socioeconomic classes for grade school. When they reach the first grade at the age of five, they already know how to read," Handa said.
Giving up on the poor
Israeli experts know the consequences of an impoverished childhood and increasingly large socioeconomic gaps. "The damage is done not only in terms of physical development, but also psychological (development)," says Professor Asher Ben Arieh, a child welfare expert at the the Hebrew University's School of Social Work and the director general of the Haruv Institute."The emotional harm is dramatic. IIf they can, they will wear second-hand clothes and reduce their diet. But they (suffer) psychological harm caused from having less than others is difficult to repair."
"It affects their self-confidence, their ability to develop relationships with others, and their willingness to be part of society. When a child lacks self-esteem, he feels that he cannot lead a healthy lifestyle and his aspirations subsequently narrow. When we raise a large group of children who believe they're destined to be laborers or uneducated, the impact on society is devastating. "
However, Professor Zvi Eckstein, director of the Aaron Institue Economic Policy at the IDC in Herzliya, is rather unmoved by the data in the report: "When one compares Israel to other OECD countries, one should examine the number of children that Israel has compared to other countries. We, in Israel. are unusual in this respect. In other countries, the average family has a child and a quarter, Israel has more children per family, even among secular families, and especially in the Arab sector and even more in the ultra-Orthodox sector. This is a choice of the Israeli population. And because we do not earn more than most countries, we have more poor children," he said.
"What is also remarkable is that our poorest group has a tendency and preference to give birth to more children. When the number of children in the poorest group increases, the gaps do as well. If you look at the Gini Index (the inequality index) in Israel - it is close to that of the United States, as our population growth rate is 2.8 times greater than the US.
"If the United States had the same number of children as Israel, it would be ranked similar to us. The inequality indices are also higher here than in others because the Haredi population is investing less in vocational education. Moreover, the state's small investment in the Arab sector, and their access to the labor market, infrastructure and education (has contributed to this issue)," he concluded.
They don't go to friends' birthday parties because they cannot buy gifts. They don't participate in extracurricular activities or tell their parents about school trips in order not to upset their parents, who cannot afford to pay for such programs. Sometimes they go to bed hungry and fear they will not have anything to eat.
The most difficult aspect of their life is that they feel they are worthless and hopeless. UNICEF's new report reveals that Israel's children are not only the poorest among children in Western countries, but also their parents suffer from the greatest income inequality.
The report presents an overview of inequality and well-being of children in 41 Western countries between 2010 and 2014, compares children at the bottom of the poverty line to middle class children, and finally examines how low we let them fall - in terms of income, health, living conditions, and education. According to the data, Israel lags far behind other Western countries.
"All children deserve an equal opportunity to reach a fair start," write the authors of the report. "Social inequalities among adults may be justifiable if they have arisen through fair competition and under conditions of equality of opportunity. But when it comes to children, the social and economic circumstances they face are beyond their control, and so differences in merit cannot reasonably be advanced as justification for inequalities among them.
In addition, few dispute that childhood experiences have a profound effect not only on children’s current lives, but also on their future opportunities and prospects. Likewise, social and economic disadvantages in early life increase the risk of having lower earnings, lower standards of health and lower skills in adulthood. This in turn can perpetuate disadvantage across generations. None of this is the fault of the child."
The level of inequality among Israel's children in terms of health stands at 38 percent. Almost one third of children in Israel complain about physical ailments such as headaches, sore throat, abdominal pain, irritability, difficulty falling asleep, dizziness and other undiagnosed pains.
Education in Israel is ranked 33rd out of 37 OECD countries according to the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests, which evaluate literacy, mathematics, and science.
Israel's children also scored poorly in life satisfaction. The gap between the poorest children and middle class children is among the highest in the Western world - ranked 31st out of 35 countries. Despite a small improvement compared to the 2002 UNICEF report and a two percent increase in the 2010 UNICEF report, the gap between Israel's wealthiest and poorest children increased. 7.7 percent of Israeli children reported a satisfaction level of 4 or less on a scale of 1 to 10, while the average child in most Western countries reports a satisfaction of 8.
Sticky floor
"We are talking about a term called the sticky floor - the policy and social behavior leaves the lower classes low and does not allow them to climb and to improve their situation," says Jonny Cline, UNICEF Israel chairman. "The situation in Israel is the result of policies that were used for years - but what the data in the report shows the ability of policies to influence the hope for the future and the possibility to change this trend." The report demonstrates how other countries have reduced disparities and granted their children, born in lower socioeconomic classes, more equal opportunities. For instance, Japan has made long-term investment in child allowances, allowing less fortunate layers of its population to fend off poverty.
Meanwhile, Israel still has not managed to overcome political debates to ensure future improvement. The political immaturity and unwillingness to overcome political factionalism have prevented Israel from taking the bold steps required to confront this crisis. Israel has a huge pool of data to draw from other countries and can understand from it what has been effective in reversing these negative trends.
"It is important to understand that it is not that the rich that are getting richer as the poor become poorer, it's just the opposite. As the poor are getting poorer, the strength of the strongest is also damaged. UNICEF does not come as a regulating body, but as a body that reflects the comparative situation. When Israel signed the CRC, it promised to improve the situation of children in Israel and fulfill their rights. We are here to help Israel implement programs that will enable it to meet this promise.The red flags have fluttered for decades, and now it requires a governmental decision to create a master plan for future generations, to improve the situation in cooperation between the state and the citizenry," said Cline.
The leader of the report, Dr. Sudhanshu Handa, the chief of the Social and Economic Policy Unit at the UNICEF Office of Research, also hopes to see reform in the national programs. "This (report) allows countries to compare themselves to countries that are in the same economic environment and examine their policies," he explains. "For working purposes, we collected the information from databases that exist in every country and we have built an indicator that reflects inequality."
"In education, for example, we examined the results of the PISA tests conducted worldwide among students aged 15. For the fields of health and life satisfaction index we used the HBCS, the international survey on the welfare and health of youth," Handa said.
"This research which is carried out every four years among children aged 11, 13 and 15 around the world explores topics such as relationships with friends, family, use of social media, alcohol use and smoking, eating habits and physical activity, life satisfaction and satisfaction from education. The interesting part of this year's report is that in three of the four examined categories - health, life satisfaction and education - the information was obtained from the children themselves," he added.
What is the most important thing we can learn from this study?
"Some countries did better than others in maintaining low gaps between poor children and middle-class children. In other words, governments can make a difference for children with social policies. Countries or countries that have changed social policies in the health sector have seen significant improvements in healthy eating habits of children and measures of physical activity. In education we found that inequality diminishes - the kids at the bottom come closer to the children at the center," Handa said.
Why has Israel fallen to the bottom of the list in many categories?
"Israel is really far behind in all categories. Israel has a unique context and some of the reasons are known: it is the minorities who study in various different settings such as the Arabs and the ultraorthodox. But every country suffers from such incredible inequalities. Israel should give this some consideration. Even in my country, the United States, this is a very important issue. We see children who come from a poor background go to poor schools that perpetuate poverty," he continued.
What can we do better in Israel?
"We need to make sure that there is a good system of integration. Sweden recorded a significant increase in inequality and the reason is the growing immigrant community. I'm not an expert on Israel, but Israel must examine from which countries it can learn. In the United States, for example, there is a program called Headstart, which aims to prepare pre-grade school children of lower socioeconomic classes for grade school. When they reach the first grade at the age of five, they already know how to read," Handa said.
Giving up on the poor
Israeli experts know the consequences of an impoverished childhood and increasingly large socioeconomic gaps. "The damage is done not only in terms of physical development, but also psychological (development)," says Professor Asher Ben Arieh, a child welfare expert at the the Hebrew University's School of Social Work and the director general of the Haruv Institute."The emotional harm is dramatic. IIf they can, they will wear second-hand clothes and reduce their diet. But they (suffer) psychological harm caused from having less than others is difficult to repair."
"It affects their self-confidence, their ability to develop relationships with others, and their willingness to be part of society. When a child lacks self-esteem, he feels that he cannot lead a healthy lifestyle and his aspirations subsequently narrow. When we raise a large group of children who believe they're destined to be laborers or uneducated, the impact on society is devastating. "
However, Professor Zvi Eckstein, director of the Aaron Institue Economic Policy at the IDC in Herzliya, is rather unmoved by the data in the report: "When one compares Israel to other OECD countries, one should examine the number of children that Israel has compared to other countries. We, in Israel. are unusual in this respect. In other countries, the average family has a child and a quarter, Israel has more children per family, even among secular families, and especially in the Arab sector and even more in the ultra-Orthodox sector. This is a choice of the Israeli population. And because we do not earn more than most countries, we have more poor children," he said.
"What is also remarkable is that our poorest group has a tendency and preference to give birth to more children. When the number of children in the poorest group increases, the gaps do as well. If you look at the Gini Index (the inequality index) in Israel - it is close to that of the United States, as our population growth rate is 2.8 times greater than the US.
"If the United States had the same number of children as Israel, it would be ranked similar to us. The inequality indices are also higher here than in others because the Haredi population is investing less in vocational education. Moreover, the state's small investment in the Arab sector, and their access to the labor market, infrastructure and education (has contributed to this issue)," he concluded.
