The Knesset's Subcommittee for the Defense Budget rejected a request Tuesday by Defense Minister Ehud Barak to enlarge the budget of the IDF's Civil Administration. Barak wanted the additional funds for hiring inspectors to enforce the current ten-month freeze on construction by Jews in Judea and Samaria.
The Defense Ministry had asked the committee for permission to transfer NIS 12 million from the IDF's Judea and Samaria security operations budget in order to add 40 new freeze inspectors – 29 as employees of the Civil Administration, and 11 within the Defense Ministry.
The Defense Ministry announced in late November that it would be adding 40 inspectors to the 14 already in the Civil Administration's employment, for supervising the freeze. MK Uri Ariel (National Union) was quick to point out at the time that the budgeting of the move would have to be approved by the Knesset, and that the ministry could not hire the additional inspectors without such approval.
MK Ariel said at the end of the subcommittee discussion Tuesday that “while the Palestinians build illegal villas undisturbed, Barak is busy trying to get funding for supervising the draconian freeze order [against Jews] of all things. The committee did the right thing when it rejected his request.”
MK Danny Danon (Likud) echoed Ariel, saying that “Barak should take care of the settlers' security needs and not busy himself with tightening the enforcement of the draconian freeze.”