Israel dangles new compensation carrot before Gaza settlers

[dArKeR]

REUTERS , JERUSALEM
Sunday, Jun 13, 2004,Page 1

Israel plans to pay an average of US$300,000 per family in compensation to settlers who leave the Gaza Strip and will give swift cash advances to those who go voluntarily, government officials said on Friday.

The cash advances could be available by August under a draft proposal by a government committee working out the details of a Gaza pullout plan that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Cabinet has approved in principle, the officials said.

Payouts before a planned March Cabinet vote on whether to begin removing settlements could force a showdown between Sharon and hardliners in his coalition, bringing it closer to collapse, political analysts said.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2004/06/13/2003174839

Is this American tax payers' money?

[Scurrilous]

1. Decree forbidding evacuees to receive compensation issued

http://www.maarivenglish.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=article&articleID=8460

<snip>

Right wing group of rabbis to distribute edict among 200 rabbis. Head of group: “I don’t believe there would be a rabbi who would refuse to endorse it”.


"The reports about compensation packages the Gaza evacuees would get when the disengagement plan is implemented have prompted right wing rabbis to respond. In the next several days, a rabbinical decree is to be distributed among about 200 rabbis. The decree forbids those who would willingly evacuate Gush Katif or any other part of Israel to recieve compensation.

The decree was issued by the “Pikuh Nefesh” foundation. It is comprised of dozens of right wing rabbis including Rabbi Yaakov Yossef, son of Shas’ spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yossef and Rabbi Yossef Garlitzky of Habad. Rabbi David Druckman who heads the foundation confirmed to NRG Maariv the intent to distribute the decree among the rabbis. "I estimate over 200 rabbis from across Israel will sign the decree. I don’t believe there would be a rabbi who would refuse to endorse the order."

[Violet_Crumble]

2. My bet is it would be US taxpayers' money...

And it'll also be US taxpayers' money being used to destroy the settlements if they ever do evacuate them. My bet is it won't get to that stage, so we'll never know. From the article: 'Payouts before a planned March Cabinet vote on whether to begin removing settlements' So, they haven't actually agreed to begin removing any settlements yet. They've just agreed that they'll vote on it at some later stage...

Violet..

[dArKeR]

3. Jewish Settlers Look Into Compensation Package

By Gwen Ackerman

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Dozens of Israeli settlers have asked Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites)'s office for details of compensation for leaving their homes voluntarily under his plan for evacuating occupied lands, political sources said on Sunday.

Israel's cabinet on June 6 approved in principle Sharon's plan to "disengage" from conflict with Palestinians by scrapping all 21 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip (news - web sites) and four of 120 in the West Bank by the end of 2005. Further votes will be taken next year on implementing a four-stage pullout.

The interest in the compensation offer, just a week after the plan was approved, was the first indication that at least some settlers would leave willingly despite insistence by their rightist leaders that buying them out was not an option.

The sources said dozens of settlers, most from the enclaves slated for removal in the northern West Bank and the rest from Gaza, contacted Sharon's office following news the government was preparing to issue cash advances.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/mideast_dc

[JohnLocke]

4. And if it is taxpayer money, so what?

I'll gladly pay for anything that might stop some terrorist from killing me or my family.

[newyorican]

5. Then let it be...

Israeli taxpayers money. The US official policy has always been against "settlements", it is rather ludicrous to reward those that acted against US policy with US taxpayers moneys.

However, stranger things have happened.