Israel boosts budget for Holocaust survivors
JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israel Cabinet has boosted its budget for assisting Holocaust survivors.
Tuesday's move comes a day before the country marks its annual Holocaust Memorial Day for the 6 million Jews murdered by the Nazis in World War II.
Less than 200,000 aging survivors remain in Israel. Many live in poverty and previous governments have been criticized for not doing enough to allow them to live out their lives in dignity.
The government says the basket of services for Holocaust survivors will rise to $60 million for 2012, a 13 percent increase. An additional $13 million will directed toward increasing monthly stipends of particularly needy survivors. Stipends currently range between $530 and $1,900 each month.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was "urgent" to help survivors.
