Nearly two million Israelis, including hundreds of thousands of children and seniors, were living below the poverty line in 2023, according to an annual report released by the National Insurance Institute (NII). The report underscores a troubling picture of economic inequality in Israel, placing the country near the bottom of the OECD rankings for poverty based on disposable income. The report reveals that 1.98 million people, or 20.7% of the population, lived in poverty last year. Among them were 872,400 children (27.9% of the child population) and 158,500 senior citizens (12.8% of the senior population). Rates of deprivation were particularly severe in Arab and Charedi communities, with Modiin Ilit—a predominantly Charedi city—identified as the poorest locality. Other cities with high poverty levels included Yerushalayim, Beit Shemesh, Bnei Brak, and Lod. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)