Government discriminating against Haredim again?
Among the new settlements that will be eligible for preferential grants because of security reasons are Rehalim, Bruchin and Sansana which until a few months ago were considered illegal settlement outposts. Other new settlements on the list are Elon Moreh, Geva Binyamin, Ma'ale Michmash, Eshkalot and Negahot.
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Hatnua ministers Tzipi Livni and Amir Peretz abstained in the vote on the new list, but spoke out against including small, isolated settlements on the list. Yesh Atid ministers Yael German and Yaakov Peri also abstained. Fifteen ministers voted in favor.
“This is a list of political, not national, preference, " Peretz said. He also objected that Kiryat Malachi and Kiryat Gat were left off the list because of their proximity to the center of the country.
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"I can understand that you put onto the list settlements in Judea and Samaria that are part of the major settlement blocks, and part of the areas that the government will remain in our hands," said Peretz. "But I don't think it is the time diplomatically or from a socio-economic point of view to include new settlements that until recently were illegal, and which is doubtful whether they will remain in Israel's hand, and invest in them disproportionate sums."Haredi MK's feel that their constituents are being targeted by the new list. Beitar Ilit, a large mostly Haredi city in the Gush Etzion bloc was left off the list, as was Harish, a new Haredi city being built in the southern Galilee, which is within the 1949 armistice lines, but in an otherwise rural area (link in Hebrew).
On other hand, Efrat, which is a mostly national religious city in the Etzion bloc, was also left off the list. Is it discrimination? Is it a reordering of priorities (probably not)? Is it an attempt to exclude towns seen as 'wealthier' (not Beitar Ilit and not Harish)? It's probably a combination.
Labels: development towns, Judea and Samaria
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:25 PM
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