Gov't presents its resettlement figures

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
In advance of a highly critical State Comptroller report blasting the state for its poor performance in handling the evacuation and resettlement of Gaza and northern Samaria families published today (see page 6), Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert yesterday convened the Ministerial Disengagement Committee to set the record straight from the government's point of view. Sela Disengagement Authority Director Yonatan Bassi said that some 1,300 families out of approximately 1,700 had chosen to maintain their community fabrics and added that the state has - in cooperation with the residents - completed the plan for permanent residences for all of the communities. He briefed ministers on the temporary centers in which evacuee families are living today and the places designated for permanent residence. •Nitzan - This religious community will be expanded by approximately 442 lots. Many public structures - such as clubs, kindergartens, daycare centers, synagogues, ritual baths, etc. - will be built. This site is expected to serve as a place of permanent residence for families who arrived mainly from Neveh Dekalim. Groundwork is expected to begin in the coming weeks. •North of Ashkelon - 420 permanent residential lots are expected to be built. •Ashkelon - Approximately 180 families are currently living in clusters of rented apartments. •Nitzanim - The maximum potential for building is approximately 1,000 residential lots that will be developed modularly, according to demand. Families that originally lived in Morag, Gadid, Bdolah, Netzer Hazani, Rafiah Yam, Neveh Dekalim, Gan Or and Nisanit are expected to live at this site. • Yad Binyamin - Approximately 250 families are expected to live here. A yeshiva and 70 flats for students have been established. •Kibbutz Hafetz Haim - This site is designed for 65 agricultural families and 20 community families from Ganei Tal. •Ein Tzurim - This site has yet to be populated and is expected to absorb approximately 113 families. •Mavki'im - This moshav currently serves as both a temporary and a permanent residential site for 26 families from Peat Sadeh. Due to the influx of families from Peat Sadeh, the number of children at Mavki'im has grown from 18 to 100. •Bat Hadar - Forty-nine are ready for construction for families from Elei Sinai and Nisanit. •Talmei Yafo - This community is expected to absorb 25 families from Elei Sinai, who will make their permanent homes here. •Or Haner - Sixteen families. •Mefalsim - Eleven families. •Amatzia - Will serve as place of both temporary and permanent residence for 56 families from Katif who are currently moving to the site. •Shomriya - This kibbutz will serve as a place of both temporary and permanent residence for 57 families from Atzmona. •Mirsham - This community is currently in the planning stages and is designed to serve as a place of permanent residence for 80-150 families from Neveh Dekalim and other communities. • Shekef - Twenty families; the site has yet to be populated. •Halutzit 1, Halutzit 4 and Shlomit - The possibility of establishing these communities is currently being examined. These communities will apparently serve for up to 200 families from Netzarim and Atzmona. •Yated - Thirty-six families. •Yevul - Fifty-one families and approximately 230 pre-military academy cadets. •Kibbutz Yad Hanna - Approximately 32 families from Homesh and Nisanit, for which the site will serve as a place of both temporary and permanent residence, live at this kibbutz. The kibbutz has been enlarged and turned into an agricultural community. •Bustan Hagalil - Approximately 30 families from Dugit and Rafiah Yam have arrived at this moshav, which will serve as a site of temporary and permanent residence. The moshav has been enlarged. Additional public structures have been established. •Magen Shaul - Approximately 15 Bnei Menashe families from Neveh Dekalim and five families from Ganim have arrived at this moshav, which will serve as a place of both temporary and permanent residence. •Avnei Eitan - This site is serving as a place of both temporary and permanent residence for approximately 20 families. The committee approved a NIS 10 million supplementary budget for families in hotels. Bassi said that the families would leave the hotels by April 6. The committee also approved an additional NIS 15 million for the local authorities that are absorbing the evacuated families. This will enable the authorities to provide assistance to the families and carry out wide-ranging absorption activities. Industry, Trade and Employment Ministry Director-General Ra'anan Dinur said that his ministry is dealing with approximately 1,800 employed people who had lived in the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria. Of these, approximately 800 have been referred to places of work, approximately 450 have been allocated professional retraining and approximately 100 have opened new businesses. Prime Minister's Office data indicate that over NIS 1.3 billion in compensation has been given to families thus far. Education Ministry Director-General Amira Haim said that every student and every teacher in the system have found satisfactory solutions. The Social Welfare Ministry and Sela are currently dealing with approximately 287 families that are eligible for special assistance.