No more 'cara-villas' for procrastinating settlers
צילום: חברת אוולון
'No more temporary housing in Nitzanim’
Sharon tells ministers there are no more "cara-villas" (upscale caravans) left for Gaza settlers in Nitzanim; johnny-come-latelys will have to rent apartments in southern cities instead
JERUSALEM - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told the ministerial committee for disengagement affairs on Wednesday that the date for his ultimatum has expired.
From this point forward, settlers who wish to move out of Gaza will have to rent apartments in southern cities or finance the building of their own homes, instead of getting"cara-villas" (upscale caravan-villas,) he said.
Following Sharon's remarks, temporary housing in Nitzanim is no longer an option for settlers turning to the Disengagement Authority.
'There has to be a deadline sometime'
“The government cannot build without end when the settlers offer no commitments …” Sharon said.
“Whoever has already registered is signed up, whoever didn’t can rent an apartment until moving into his permanent housing,” he added.
Ilan Cohen, director-general of the Prime Minister’s Office, said during the discussion that the housing company Amigur, a subsidiary of the Jewish Agency, would publicize an updated list of available rental apartments throughout the country.
Other options
“The country is offering more than a thousand temporary housing solutions and many on a permanent basis,” Cohen said.
Three weeks ago, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni gave Gush Katif settlers the option of accepting an offer to move to temporary housing in the area of Nitzanim.
“Whoever wants the help of the government, the deadline is a week,” Livni said at the time.
Meanwhile, Sharon told the ministers, “At some point in time, you have to say that land was promised is no longer so.”
Cohen told ministers about the Disengagement Authority’s giving a USD 30,000-grant to each settler family moving near Afula, in the country's north. The grant is similar to the ones given to those moving to the Galilee or Negev.
