Only hours after it was learned yesterday that eight "civilian outposts" in Judea and Samaria (Yesha) had been recognized, to a certain extent, and would be provided with basic security and other services, another positive development for Yesha growth occurred in the Knesset Finance Committee. The committee narrowly approved a 126-million shekel allocation to the Housing Ministry, most of it for new housing in Yesha.
Committee member MK Nissan Slomiansky (National Religious Party) explained to Arutz-7 this morning that the Finance Ministry had requested approval for the allocation to the Housing Ministry for two purposes: "The completion of infrastructures in new communities that are in the process of being built, and bringing in mobile structures and caravans to these places so that people can live there even now." Slomiansky said that prior to yesterday's vote, the left-wing MKs "quickly jumped in, falsely representing the situation as if all the new construction was to be in Yesha, causing the Shinui MKs [initially] to vote against."
Slomiansky did not provide precise figures, but said that not all of the construction will be in Yesha: "I told them that if we wanted to [build only] in Yesha, we wouldn't have been embarrassed to do so and to have such a motion passed in a right-wing government. But the fact is that the Housing Ministry [headed by NRP leader Effie Eitam] wants to build wherever it is important to do so, all over the Land of Israel... such that the money is going all over: the Galilee, Negev, Golan, Jordan Valley, and also Yesha." Of a similar allocation last year, 70% went to Judea, Samaria and Gaza, including 50 government-sponsored housing units to the Jerusalem-Binyamin-Gush Etzion region.
In response to a question by Arutz-7's Haggai Segal, Yogev said that the kibbutzim still receive "hundreds of millions" of shekels each year from the government. "If so," Segal asked, "why don't you publicize these figures, so that the media headlines will concentrate on how much money the kibbutzim receive, instead of on what Yesha gets?" Yogev answered, "First of all, we're too busy building, so we don't have time to tattle on our beloved brothers. Secondly, no one will publicize these figures, because it's considered legitimate for the government to help the kibbutzim pay back loans that they used for stock-market speculating and the like..."
Committee member MK Nissan Slomiansky (National Religious Party) explained to Arutz-7 this morning that the Finance Ministry had requested approval for the allocation to the Housing Ministry for two purposes: "The completion of infrastructures in new communities that are in the process of being built, and bringing in mobile structures and caravans to these places so that people can live there even now." Slomiansky said that prior to yesterday's vote, the left-wing MKs "quickly jumped in, falsely representing the situation as if all the new construction was to be in Yesha, causing the Shinui MKs [initially] to vote against."
Slomiansky did not provide precise figures, but said that not all of the construction will be in Yesha: "I told them that if we wanted to [build only] in Yesha, we wouldn't have been embarrassed to do so and to have such a motion passed in a right-wing government. But the fact is that the Housing Ministry [headed by NRP leader Effie Eitam] wants to build wherever it is important to do so, all over the Land of Israel... such that the money is going all over: the Galilee, Negev, Golan, Jordan Valley, and also Yesha." Of a similar allocation last year, 70% went to Judea, Samaria and Gaza, including 50 government-sponsored housing units to the Jerusalem-Binyamin-Gush Etzion region.
In response to a question by Arutz-7's Haggai Segal, Yogev said that the kibbutzim still receive "hundreds of millions" of shekels each year from the government. "If so," Segal asked, "why don't you publicize these figures, so that the media headlines will concentrate on how much money the kibbutzim receive, instead of on what Yesha gets?" Yogev answered, "First of all, we're too busy building, so we don't have time to tattle on our beloved brothers. Secondly, no one will publicize these figures, because it's considered legitimate for the government to help the kibbutzim pay back loans that they used for stock-market speculating and the like..."