Jerusalem – Politicians must make eradicating poverty their top priority,  a, former president Shimon Peres said Monday, after the release of Latet’s Alternative Poverty Report.

Peres called the report an indictment, saying it must be taken seriously

“The hungry children and elderly people cannot be fed with declarations,” he said. “We are taking our children’s future from them. If we don’t make this issue a priority, we may win battles but we will lose our children.”

The former president added that, just as Israel knows to raise money for security and war, it must find funds to take care of the poor.

“This election is an opportunity to bring social justice so we will be a nation at peace with itself and with social resilience. All parties must put taking care of poverty as the top priority on their agendas,” he stated.