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This Week in Israel In view of the state of the economy, which Finance Minister Silvain Shalom recently defined as a "catastrophe", PM Ariel Sharon and the Minister of Finance have decided to inflict a NIS 6 billion cutback in the 2002 budget. As part of the plan, they are considering the abolishment of child allowances for the first and second child, which will save the public coffers half a billion shekels. It was also agreed that there would be an 8% cutback in the budgets of all government ministries which would help save NIS 3 billion. The Treasury is also seeking to freeze the number of National Insurance Institution recepients, which would save about one billion dollars. In order to reach the target of NIS 6 billion, a further NIS 1.5 billion must be raised, and it is possible that taxes will be imposed on non-index linked bank deposits. By law, the budget must be approved by the end of this month. Israel's annual report on poverty that was published this week, portrays a dark picture of social polarization. Over the past year almost 100,000 people have been added to the numbers of poor, including 20,000 children. The report concludes that every fourth child in Israel is poor. Salaries paid to the country's top income earners are 40 times higher than the minimum wage and 17 times higher than the average wage in Israel. Projections for the coming year forecast 260,000 unemployed, corresponding to a 10.3% unemployment rate compared to the present 9.3%. "I came to Israel to show the Americans that it is possible to continue visiting Jerusalem" - said outgoing mayor of New York Rudi Juliani this week. Juliani, together with mayor elect Michael Blumberg and Governor of New York George Pataki arrived in Israel at the beginning of the week and visited the areas which were hit by the terrorist attacks a week earlier. They were cheered by the Jerusalem public, with calls of: "We love you America", and "Juliani you're a hero". The guests also visited the wounded in hospital and met with President Katsav. Pataki said to the president: "We wish to express the solidarity of the 19 million residents of New York with the people of Israel". At the end of his visit Juliani said: "New Yorkers have a lot to learn from Jerusalemites and Israelis about dealing with terrorism". The families of the three MIA's taken captive in Lebanon received a pledge from UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, with whom they met in Oslo, that they may see their children's belongings, currently being held by the UN. They will also be able to watch a video recording filmed by UN forces a short time after the ambush. UN special envoy Terria Larsen is due to bring the belongings to Israel. Before the meeting, which took place at Oslo's Jewish community center, the UN Secretary General and his wife lit Chanukka candles together with the families of the MIA's at a synagogue in the city. The Jewish Agency's Workers' Committee has to take revolutionary measures in convincing workers to quit smoking. According to the plan conceived by Committee Chairman Yonah Bezaleli, any employees who participate in a special workshop on how to stop smoking, and as a result do not smoke for at least a year - will receive a monthly bonus of NIS 500 in their salary. 700 of the Jewish Agency's 1,200 employees smoke. Following a new law, which prohibits smoking in public places, the Committee decided that the best way to enforce the law in Jewish Agency offices is by remuneration, instead of the fine imposed by the law. Just a few days after the Committee published its decision, ten heavy smokers had already registered for the program, and they will soon be attending the workshop. And finally, some good news for the Jewish people, particularly for sports fans: The Hapoel Tel Aviv football club has beaten two of the best clubs in Europe - in the early rounds of the European Championships (UEFA Cup): England's Chelsea FC and Moscow Lokomotiv. This is the highest achievement ever of any Israeli football team, and thousands of fans waited at Ben Gurion Airport to welcome the players home, greeting them with cheers and hugs.
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