Jerusalem, 2006. Photograhy: Shabtai Gold

Monday 29.01
at 19:30

Social Gaps in Israel

A lecture by Shir Hever, political economy researcher at The Alternative Information Center
First lecture in the series of four lectures on the Israeli economy

In recent years we witness a worrying widening of the economic gaps in Israel. While a small number of capitalists continue to get richer, the majority of the population is suffering from decline in income, from the rise of unemployment and poverty and from the bigger dependency on the welfare payments. The statesmen changed the tone and accuse the poor and the unemployed of their condition instead of taking responsibility for the problem.
At the same time we witness cuts in welfare payments – at the time when they are needed most. Why social gaps in Israel widen so fast? Who suffers from increase in inequality? Does inequality facilitate growth? Are the social gaps connected to the Israeli control of the Occupied Territories?