According to a study released by the left-wing Peace Now organization, Jewish residents of Judea, Samaria, and Gaza (Yesha) enjoy a larger slice of the government pie than other regions in Israel. The report states that 2.2 billion shekels were allocated in the state budget for Yesha communities. After presenting the government budget allocation figures, including NIS 600 million for Yesha municipalities, NIS 400 million for roads, NIS 400 million for housing, and NIS 200 million for tax benefits, the report concludes that each Yesha resident enjoys 8,625 shekels more than those living on the other side of the 1948 cease-fire lines.
The executive director of the Council of Jewish Communities of Judea, Samaria and Gaza, Bentzi Lieberman, responded to the report by saying that every time Peace Now is seeking exposure, it decides to "count caravans" or the like, always finding "undisclosed facts" to discredit Yesha communities and residents. "Next they will begin counting the calories in the air we breathe," Lieberman said, explaining that the report only reveals partial facts and represents an attempt at "manipulation."
According to the Yesha Council head, the report fails to include enormous expenditures on road, water, and security infrastructures. Not only do Yesha residents not enjoy a larger slice of the pie, Lieberman explained, but they pay higher taxes than residents of the Galilee and Negev areas. He pointed out that life in Yesha is considerably more expensive and the reality is, in fact, budgetary discrimination against Yesha residents.
The executive director of the Council of Jewish Communities of Judea, Samaria and Gaza, Bentzi Lieberman, responded to the report by saying that every time Peace Now is seeking exposure, it decides to "count caravans" or the like, always finding "undisclosed facts" to discredit Yesha communities and residents. "Next they will begin counting the calories in the air we breathe," Lieberman said, explaining that the report only reveals partial facts and represents an attempt at "manipulation."
According to the Yesha Council head, the report fails to include enormous expenditures on road, water, and security infrastructures. Not only do Yesha residents not enjoy a larger slice of the pie, Lieberman explained, but they pay higher taxes than residents of the Galilee and Negev areas. He pointed out that life in Yesha is considerably more expensive and the reality is, in fact, budgetary discrimination against Yesha residents.