Israel has the highest proportion of its population living in poverty of any OECD nation:

Israel has the highest rate of poverty of all developed countries, according to a report released by the 33-nation Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on Wednesday.

The OECD found that Israel’s poverty rate stands as almost 21%.

It also put Israel at fifth place among countries with the widest gaps between rich and poor, after Chile, Mexico, Turkey and the United States, while Iceland, Slovenia, Norway and Denmark were the most egalitarian societies.

Israel has been practicing Thatcher style economics, even the Labour Party, for the past few decades, which could explain this.

I’m also wondering how much of this number is driven by the growing number of Heridi Jews in Israel. They are about 10% of the population, and are disproportionately: Over half the Heridim live in poverty, and are on government assistance, as versus about 15% of the general population.

Much of this differential is actually an artifact of poverty by choice. Many in this community prefer to remain on the dole, so that they can study Torah.

Of course, there is no requirement for someone not to work in order to study Torah.

Maimonides was a noted doctor, Rashi was a vintner, and the Baal Shem Tov was an inn keeper.

I do not know of anyone of this generation with the chops of those folks. Get a f%$#ing job.