The latest figures are out and they are not encouraging. Over one million children – or one out of every three children in Israel – go to bed hungry. Over 53% of children in Jerusalem are impoverished.

Poor children are still suffering from malnutrition and hunger. A cheap diet is one full of carbohydrates; puffed wheat cereal for breakfast; white bread with butter for lunch; white noodles for dinner – every day. Children on this diet will eventually become malnourished.

When a parent's income is below the poverty line, automatic payments such as rent or mortgage, medical insurance, and school tuition, are deducted immediately from a bank account. Electricity, water and tax bills further deplete the account and there is almost nothing left for food and other basic needs.

Many blame the government for cutting the security net for poor people many years ago. Others blame the high cost of rent, where the price of housing is imbalanced due to the constant influx of new immigrants.

The government is embarrassed with the image of children going hungry in Israel. It conflicts Israel's image as the developed 'start up' nation. They ignore the problem.

Read the full article on Isreal by Tefilla Buxbaum at Aish HaTorah