Students in Jerusalem are complaining about the high cost of housing which, in many cases, has increased 100 percent in the past year. The students division of the Israel Labor Party has called on the Government. Histadrut — the labor federation — and the Hebrew University to do something about it.
The rents are high by the standards of Israel where salaried workers average only one-third to one-half the wages of their counterparts in the United States. Last year, a well-located room with a telephone and refrigerator rented for about $35 a month. This year the rent is $70. A two-bedroom furnished apartment that rented for $105 last year now costs $175. Rents have also gone up in outlying areas of the city. Students say that because of the high rents, economic standards rather than intelligence and ability determine who gets a college education in Jerusalem.
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