The Knesset Law Committee on Sunday 23 Adar I discussed a bill that seeks to provide another home for residents of Yehuda and Shomron who agree to voluntarily leave their home and community. The bill authored by Meretz leader MK Zahava Gal-On would give a resident agreeing to the terms another home inside Green Line Israel and in turn, the state would have total authority over the home that is evacuated.
Gal-On feels voluntary expulsion will save the nation billions of shekels. Many state that if the terms are fair, about half of the residents of yishuvim would agree to leave for a home inside Green Line Israel under a voluntary expulsion plan.
Based on the makeup of the current coalition, it is most unlikely for the bill to pass.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
I think this is an excellent idea. I would only like to add one small addition. So as not be seen as a racist, apartheid law, the same offer should be made to the Arabs. Any Arab willing to sell his home to the GOI should be fairly compensated with a home in an Arab friendly country.
1. Meretz is a minor opposition faction. Such a gesture might appeal to many Israeli leaders as a way to separate the non-nationalistic settlers from the religious fanatics, in part since confiscating property from the religious is easier politically for the secular public to put up with.
2. The gesture would be meaningless to the Palestinians who object to all “settlements” including those founded between 1948 and 1967, and between 1880 and 1947 (e.g. Tel Aviv, though from a frum perspective giving away north Tel Aviv might be a good idea).
3. The Arabs are more concerned with control of the government of Eretz Yisrael. It is a Jewish state they object to. The Americans however want to make pro-Arab gestures.
I hope this bill gets all the consideration it deserves – NONE.
If I am not mistaken (which I was, once), Jews forced out of Gaza were compensated in the same way, more or less, that persons in the US who are forced out of their homes by eminent domain, i.e., with payment of the fair value of the property before the confiscation/eviction takes place. I do not believe that Gaza evacuees were given a particular home, but they were given the money to pick their own home. This proposal seems to be no different from an economic point of view.
As for commenter no. 1’s proposal to offer Arabs a home in an Arab country, that sounds reasonable, but it would require the cooperation of Arab governments, who since 1948 have turned their backs on their Palestinian Arab brothers/sisters.
“Any Arab willing to sell his home to the GOI should be fairly compensated with a home in an Arab friendly country.”
Israel is arguably the most Arab friendly country in the region. I’m sure many Palestinians would love to move across the Green Line to become Israeli citizens.