Jerusalem’s Black Panthers were called a healthy phenomenon by Dr. Israel Katz, director of the Institute of National Insurance. He said the militant slum youths of Afro-Asian origin have made an important contribution by increasing the nation’s sensitivity to its social problems which was, in itself, a sign of national strength. Dr. Katz spoke last night at the annual conference of the National Council of Jewish Women, an American service organization holding its first conference in Israel.
He said that while every social barometer indicated enormous progress for every sector of Israeli society in absolute terms, most Israelis demand progress in relative terms as well. There are groups in Israel which have not been fully absorbed, Dr. Katz claimed. He observed that in relative terms, 10 percent of Israel’s population is poor. Only one student in 20 from the Oriental communities passes the matriculation examinations compared to one student in three from the Western communities, he said. A society which considers problems of relative deprivation is strong enough to proceed to remedy them. Dr. Katz told his audience.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
