[Photo by Katif.net]
An article on Katif.net describes the sorry situation:
"Today, three months after the terrible expulsion, many of those who were thrown out of their homes have no home, no work, and no income. People who were used to getting up early in the morning to go to work, now find themselves walking aimlessly around, ashamed to look into their children's eyes and tell them they have no money because for three months they have been living in hotel rooms or in temporary homes supplied by the government without a place of work or income... "
"I don’t want gifts," the article quotes R, a veteran farmer from Gush Katif whose greenhouses and thriving enterprise were destroyed by the government. "I don't want people collecting money for me. I only want what I deserve according to law. I want the Government of Israel not to rest until it sees that I am set up and am able to support my family without receiving help from various bodies."
Contrary to popular perception, the compensation monies that have been promised the homeless have not been paid to most of them. The Supreme Court recently ordered the government to pay advance payments of 50,000 shekels each, but these have not been forthcoming to most of those who are eligible.
In the temporary housing site of Nitzan, the problem is most blatant. "At least when they were in hotels," said one fellow evictee, "they didn't have to pay for food or utilities. But now, with no income, many of them are literally facing a situation of having no money to buy food."
The government has made some efforts, but it has found jobs so far for only a few dozen people - with over 20 times that number still out of work.
The Dan cooperative, Israel's second-largest bus company, is attempting to recruit 100 new drivers from among the former population of Gush Katif. The candidates must meet the requirements of both Dan and the Transportation Ministry, but the recruitment drive is well underway.
The Intel company, based in Kiryat Gat, has offered 50 jobs specifically to expellees. The company will train them and integrate them into various fields. Its only condition is that the candidates have computing or engineering abilities. The first two groups of potential employees have already taken introductory tours of the company's main plant.
The Tourism Ministry is preparing a special training course for tour guides, tailored to the evictees of Gush Katif and northern Shomron.
An employment organization named Derekh Eretz has offered its services at cost price to former Gush Katif residents. Director Shmuel Silber told Arutz-7, "We deal with everything from ritual slaughter to medicine to agriculture... We make every effort to match the job to the job-seeker - and at this time, the challenge is mainly to help those from Gush Katif and the Shomron." The phone number: 054-546-5188.
"The time has come," the Katif.net article concludes, "for the Nation of Israel to understand that this must be a national mission: to find employment solutions for the expelled thousands of Gush Katif. They who stood up heroically to the bombardment of thousands of Kassam rockets and mortar shells, will not be able to continue without work and without income."
An article on Katif.net describes the sorry situation:
"Today, three months after the terrible expulsion, many of those who were thrown out of their homes have no home, no work, and no income. People who were used to getting up early in the morning to go to work, now find themselves walking aimlessly around, ashamed to look into their children's eyes and tell them they have no money because for three months they have been living in hotel rooms or in temporary homes supplied by the government without a place of work or income... "
"I don’t want gifts," the article quotes R, a veteran farmer from Gush Katif whose greenhouses and thriving enterprise were destroyed by the government. "I don't want people collecting money for me. I only want what I deserve according to law. I want the Government of Israel not to rest until it sees that I am set up and am able to support my family without receiving help from various bodies."
Contrary to popular perception, the compensation monies that have been promised the homeless have not been paid to most of them. The Supreme Court recently ordered the government to pay advance payments of 50,000 shekels each, but these have not been forthcoming to most of those who are eligible.
In the temporary housing site of Nitzan, the problem is most blatant. "At least when they were in hotels," said one fellow evictee, "they didn't have to pay for food or utilities. But now, with no income, many of them are literally facing a situation of having no money to buy food."
The government has made some efforts, but it has found jobs so far for only a few dozen people - with over 20 times that number still out of work.
The Dan cooperative, Israel's second-largest bus company, is attempting to recruit 100 new drivers from among the former population of Gush Katif. The candidates must meet the requirements of both Dan and the Transportation Ministry, but the recruitment drive is well underway.
The Intel company, based in Kiryat Gat, has offered 50 jobs specifically to expellees. The company will train them and integrate them into various fields. Its only condition is that the candidates have computing or engineering abilities. The first two groups of potential employees have already taken introductory tours of the company's main plant.
The Tourism Ministry is preparing a special training course for tour guides, tailored to the evictees of Gush Katif and northern Shomron.
An employment organization named Derekh Eretz has offered its services at cost price to former Gush Katif residents. Director Shmuel Silber told Arutz-7, "We deal with everything from ritual slaughter to medicine to agriculture... We make every effort to match the job to the job-seeker - and at this time, the challenge is mainly to help those from Gush Katif and the Shomron." The phone number: 054-546-5188.
"The time has come," the Katif.net article concludes, "for the Nation of Israel to understand that this must be a national mission: to find employment solutions for the expelled thousands of Gush Katif. They who stood up heroically to the bombardment of thousands of Kassam rockets and mortar shells, will not be able to continue without work and without income."