Journalist Nachum Barnea released a report on erev Shabbos that showed an unfair amount of funding is being allocated to yishuvim in Yehuda and Shomron at the expense of outlying communities in southern and northern Israel. It is based on investigation carried out by the Molad Institute.
According to the report, of 200 million shekels allocated to yishuvim and local municipalities, 150 million heads to yishuvim in Yehuda and Shomron. It cites for example that a resident of a community in the Hebron Hills is allocated 1,418 annually as compared to a mere 130 shekels annually for the resident of the Eshkol Regional Council along the Gaza border and 585 shekels for a resident of a Shomron community.
Barnea adds Yishuv Eli receives 10 million annually, 1 million shekels more than all the Golan Heights communities combined.
Opposition leader MK (Labor) Yitzchak Herzog and party colleague Eitan Cabel are calling on the State Comptroller’s Office to probe the alarming report. They have also called on Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein to launch an investigation into what may be illegal funding.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
Th0ose Yishuvim need extra security and provide a buffer and add to the security of the rest of the country. Also, exactly what is being counted, for example, the Machsome’s (security checkpoints)? They would need to exist anyway and anywhere.
It’s funny, this same argument was used to abandon Gush Katif and look where that got us. Things can’t be look at as a zero sum game. All factors need to be considered.
As they say, “figures lie and liars figure.”