The government has appointed a team to begin planning the armoring of 10,000 homes and businesses within Kassam rocket range of Gaza.
The project will cost at least a billion shekels and Mayor of Shaar HaNegev region Alon Shuster says that the decision to begin planning does not change the fact that there is still no budget allotted for the huge project.
“We were promised that the process would begin two years ago already. Six months ago, the prime minister assured us it was happening,” Shuster told Army Radio. “Now, there is the actual beginning of the planning stage, but with absolutely no funding allotted yet.”
The Finance Ministry, headed by the prime minister, has reportedly formulated a plan to come up with a billion and a half shekels by slashing funding to several other ministries.
Appointment of New Finance Minister Postponed
Prime Minister Olmert has delayed the decision on whom to appoint as Finance Minister until next week.
Army Radio reports that former Justice Minister Chaim Ramon has threatened to leave politics if he is not appointed minister of finance. Ramon returned to the Knesset despite a recent conviction for forcibly kissing a female IDF soldier on the day the Second Lebanon War broke out.
Olmert is reportedly weighing between Ramon, whose appointment will be challenged by political and judicial opponents, and Roni Bar-On, a longtime Olmert ally currently serving as Interior Minister.