State Approves [Additional] NIS 500 Million for Gush Katif Evacuees (Jerusalem Post)
Full Text;
A ministerial committee approved Wednesday an addition of NIS 500 million to the budget allocated for the compensation of families evacuated from Gush Katif during Israel’s disengagement from Gaza in 2005.
The monetary addition was meant to resolve issues which remained unaccounted for in the original compensation law.
The union of Gush Katif residents expressed its gratitude for the decision to increase the budget, an issue which the former residents have been struggling over for a lengthy period of time.
They added that similar compensation should be allocated to former owners of businesses and farmers.
The ministerial committee instructed a separate committee, headed by the general manager of the prime minister’s office, to draft a compensation plan for business owners and farmers by May 16.
Lior Kalfa, chairman of the union of Gush Katif residents was pleased to hear the additional funds were approved, but also expressed his criticism.
“I find it hard to understand why it took the government a year and a half to give us what we deserve. We expect compensation for former business owners and farmers that is similar to what we received on personal and family levels,” Kalfa said.
“I also hope the government will commit itself to a specific timetable regarding the establishment of permanent settlements,” he added.
Commentary;
This approval by a ministerial committee is a move in the right direction. But considering that the regime has barely paid the former residents of Gush Katif anything beyond the initial 50,000 NIS advances, has not acted to help the residents to restore themselves to a productive, income-earning status, has not provided resettlement after seizing their property and belongings and not sufficiently compensated farmers and businessmen for seized property and loss of revenues and continues to stone-wall on their obligations at every turn, there is a long way to go, perhaps years and tons of litigation before the former residents of Gush Katif get ALL that is truly theirs. MB