Around 50% of Israelis have been forced to cut back on heating their homes this winter, and 64% have cut back on food shopping, according to a recent survey carried out this week.
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The survey of over 500 Israelis was carried out by the Midgam polling institute for the Dror-Israel movement, which promotes social activism, democracy, and social equality.
Over 73% of Israelis surveyed said they had cut back on spending on leisure and recreational activities.
Forty percent said they had cut back on non-urgent medical treatments.
Nearly 60% of Israelis polled said a series of economic measures presented by the government last week to tackle the surging cost of living in the country would not make an impact, while 31% said it would have a slight impact on costs. Just 5% of respondents said the government plan would have a significant impact on the cost of living.
Nearly half of all respondents, 46.9%, said the government should cut VAT and excise taxes. Thirty-eight percent were in favor of raising the minimum wage.
Thirty-two percent of Israelis polled called to raise stipends for the elderly and the needy, and 22% called for higher taxes on the rich.
Just 14% said the government should open the fruit and vegetable market up to imports. Around 10% said the government should compensate businesses impacted by restrictions aimed at reigning in the spread of the coronavirus.
Over half of Israelis, 51.1%, blamed the government for the rising cost of goods. Just 16.6% of Israelis believe a lack of competition is to blame for the rising cost of living. Twelve percent blame food manufacturers and retail chains for the trend, while 8% said the public, which failed to protest the spike in costs earlier on, was responsible for the situation.
Over 76% of Israelis polled gave the government poor marks for its handling of rising costs, 40% of whom branded the government's conduct on the issue "terrible."
Over 40% of respondents said the biggest issue was the spike in the cost of food items, and around 20% said they were concerned by the rising cost of living and energy prices.
According to Dror Israel coordinator Pesach Hauspeter, "The economic disparities are the greatest threat to Israeli society's very existence. The 'social justice' concept wasn't just a slogan in the history of the Jewish people, and those who fail to realize this put our very existence at risk.
"The Israeli government can and should intervene, and it would be wise not to ignore [the situation]," he said.
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