Israelis Jews live longer and better than their Arab counterparts, an independent report found.
Sikkuy, a liberal lobby that works to improve race relations in the Jewish state, issued findings Wednesday that the average life expectancy of Israeli Jewish men is 78.4 years, compared to 74.9 for Arabs. The life expectancy for Jewish and Arab women is 82.4 and 78.5, respectively.
The report also found that while approximately half of Israeli Arabs live below the poverty line, the comparative figure for the Jewish minority is 15.7 percent.
According to Sikkuy, the data point to the long-term damage caused to Israeli Arabs by discrimination at the hands of the state.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has called to improve conditions for Israeli Arabs. He is scheduled to give a policy speech on the matter Thursday.
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