Heavy barrage towards the north, March 27, 2024/27A
After a delay of almost two and a half months, the plan for the rehabilitation and strengthening of the north will be presented on Thursday. The leaders of the conflict line forum authorities were invited to a meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, where the director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yossi Shelli, will present to them the plan he formulated, in cooperation with the government ministries, its budget, the amount of which is not yet known.
Let's recall that at a meeting held by the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in the presence of the War Cabinet and other ministers in Korezin, he promised the members of the forum a budget of NIS 3.5 billion and the establishment of an administration that would prepare the area for the return of the evacuated residents home.
As we revealed in Vala, despite the promise, there is no additional budget intended for the rehabilitation of the north and the money will come from the various government ministries. To this end, a "white smoke day" was held in the middle of last week, led by the Office of the Minister of Public Affairs, and with the participation of representatives of the ministries, at the end of which the draft that will be presented on Thursday was drawn up.
The heads of the authorities are angry that Shelley did not consult with them regarding their needs and demands, in the process and made decisions above their heads. Gabi Naaman, head of the Matula Council, told Radio 104.5FM that he hopes that a program that will be presented to them will be in line with their expectations and will not further delay the works that were supposed to start a long time ago.
Netanyahu with heads of authorities in the north, November 2023/Government Press Office
Last week, the North was surprised to discover that despite the promises and commitments, there is no money, plan or administration that will help them in the foreseeable future.
The north was promised NIS 3.5 billion a few months ago, and last week Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that "in consultation with the heads of the settlements in the north, we are about to establish an administration parallel to what we did in the south, and we will address their civil needs and, of course, their return to their homes."
But the things are not only misleading, but also not true, not to mention false: not only did the money promised by Netanyahu not go through, and the government did not allocate in the 2024 budget at all, a hypocritical amount that is special to the north, neither 3.5 billion nor one billion shekels, as was said in closed meetings to the heads of authorities. So as of this moment, there is no budget at all for the program to strengthen and restore the north.
Half a year after the evacuation of the settlements, the end of the work on the draft plan that will prepare the infrastructure for their return home is still not in sight, there is no draft on the agenda, and the budget that will finance it will be sought by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from the various government ministries, each according to their heart's desire. It can be assumed that the amounts that will be transferred will be significantly lower than Netanyahu's promises, if they pass at all.
More on the same topic:
the north
War of Iron Swords
Gaza war
Compensation