'Settlers confused and in denial’
Settler leaders slammed in new report submitted by Prime Minister’s Office Monday ahead of upcoming pullout. Gush Katif leadership driven by political considerations, prevents pragmatic dialogue, report says
JERUSALEM - Settler leaders are driven by political considerations, while would-be evacuees are confused and in denial, a new Prime Minister’s Office report submitted Monday says.
“The Gush Katif leadership…prevents pragmatic dialogue regarding the ‘Day After,’” the report says. “The settlers are confused, repressing, and in denial, and therefore are unable to make decisions.”
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the Gush Katif leadership has been engaged in a campaign aimed at de-legitimizing disengagement officials, which makes it difficult for the government to understand the settlers’ requests.
‘Uncertainty hurts settlers’
“The government is doing and will do everything in its power to assist the settlers,” the report says, but notes that “the ability to implement these solutions and the timetables are undermined as time passes without the residents’ cooperation.”
Overall, the uncertainty and disinformation hurt first and foremost the settlers and the government’s ability to assist them, the report says.
The report, submitted to the Knesset’s Finance Committee, deals with government ministries’ preparations for the disengagement plan. According to the report, the population to be evacuated includes 200 families in the northern West Bank and about 1,500 on the Gaza shore.
Meanwhile, several disengagement officials also are expected to appear before the Finance Committee.
Nearly half of Gush Katif evacuees - children
The Housing and Construction Ministry presented for the first time a snap shot of the current progress for construction and infrastructure development for residential areas earmarked for the evacuees.
The development cost is estimated at about NIS 43.5 million.
The report also reveals that most Gush Katif and northern West Bank evacuees are children. More than 46 percent of Gush Katif residents are under the age of 14, while 10 percent are between 15 to 19 years-old.
About 15 percent of Gush Katif settlers are in their 20s and 28 percent are between 30 to 59 years-old. Most of the 1,100 families live in urbanized settlements, while 400 families work in agriculture.
In the northern West Bank, 26 percent of the settlers are under the age of 18.
According to the report, the Welfare Ministry plans to enlist the aid of retired social workers for both adults and children, to help the settlers work through social, economic and personal crises, and to prevent drug abuse, divorce and emotional breakdowns.
