L'economia israeliana in crisi come quella palestinese. The New York Times > International > Middle East > Israeli and Palestinian Poverty Rising, Reports Say: "More than 22 percent of Israelis were living in poverty in 2003, up more than a percentage point from a year earlier and in keeping with the trend of the past few years, according to a report by Israel's National Insurance Institute.

'Israel is becoming poorer and poorer,' said Yigal Ben Shalom, director of the institute, a government body.

The poverty bar is set much higher in Israel, at about $400 a month for an individual, and around $1,000 a month for a family of four.

Jerusalem is the poorest Israeli city, with one-third of the residents living in poverty, the report noted. The city has been hit particularly hard in recent years. Jerusalem has suffered more suicide bombings than any other city. In addition, it relies heavily on tourism, which dropped dramatically in the first two years of the fighting, though it has been making a comeback.

While the Palestinian economy is treading water, the Israeli government says the Israeli economy is growing at close to 4 percent this year, its best showing since the late 1990's"  ¶ 21:10