The community leaders discussed the problems facing the families forcibly removed from their homes, protesting the series of broken agreements and unfulfilled promises refugees have fallen victim to since the expulsion. They pointed fingers, for the most part, at various government ministries.
Two of the main issues discussed were the continued unemployment of over 2,000 evictees and the operation of only eight of the 200 agricultural projects active before the expulsion. Many farmers have not yet even received land.
Last month, Disengagement Authority chief Yonatan Bassi admitted that dealing with the bureaucracy surrounding compensation was close to impossible. “One needs a doctorate in order to extract compensation from all the different authorities,” Bassi told the Knesset Finance Committee.
President Katzav initiated the meeting in the hope that his interest in the matter would induce government officials to insure that the way compensation for the refugees is handled is improved.
Katzav said that changes in the Evacuation-Compensation Law must be made, and called on Bassi and the Disengagement Authority to immediately draft such changes in order that they be implemented as soon as possible. The President assured the Gush Katif representatives that he would oversee the implementation of the changes personally.