The gaps are widening between Israel’s rich and poor, according to a new report, and a special matter of concern is the concentration of poverty in certain minority population sectors.

The annual report of veteran NIF grantee ADVA Center, which is engaged in policy analysis, advocacy and public education on issues of equality in Israel, captured headlines and coverage throughout the Israeli media earlier this week. The report showed that Israel's positive economic growth is only benefiting the rich. For example, while the average CEO's salary has increased 2.5 fold over the last two years, the percentage of salaried employees living below the poverty line has increased from 17.7 to 18.8 percent.

"Instead of the trickle-down benefit they're continually promising us," observed Dr. Shlomo Swirski, Director of the ADVA Center and one of the authors of the report, "the opposite is happening. We have a polarization here that is intolerable, and unless it is checked it will become even more acute."

Other Highlights from the ADVA Center Report:

Wage Gap: the average salary for Israeli women is just 63 percent of the average for the country's men.
Arabs: Israeli Arabs earn 70 percent of the average Jewish wage, down from 75 percent two years ago.
Minimum Wage: 37.2 percent of Israelis earn the minimum wage compared to 29.2 percent in 2001.
Unemployment: Wealthy Jewish areas have just a 1 percent unemployment rate compared to 20 percent in some Arab villages.
Education: 45.9 percent of Israeli 12th graders receive their matriculation certificate compared to 49.2 percent in 2004.