With nearly a third of its population living in poverty, the Knesset passed major legislation on Monday to establish Israel’s first National Authority for Eradication of Poverty.

Passing unanimously by a vote of 39-0, a 29-member council will guide the authority’s work, comprising representatives from various government ministries and public experts in poverty-related fields. The council will be appointed by the Minister of Welfare and will be responsible for preparation of a national multi-annual plan and annual plans for combating, preventing, and eventually eradicating poverty in the Jewish State.  It will also present opinions to the House Committee on how proposed legislation might impact poverty rates.

Social welfare advocates have long argued that Israel needed a more coordinated approach to addressing poverty rates that remain stubbornly high despite Israel’s economic successes. According to Latet’s 2024 poverty report, approximately 2.76 million Israelis are impoverished, including 678,200 families and a staggering 1.24 million children as the cost of survival keeps climbing.

Beyond strategic planning, the authority will establish a national research center focused on poverty, coordinate between government ministries and local authorities, and provide assistance for food distribution to those in need. For Israel’s poorest communities, the test will be whether the government’s new bureaucratic structure translates into meaningful changes. Though with a massive 775 billion shekel budget passing last week to cover Israel’s defensive wars, not many are holding their breath.