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Photo: Haim Horenstein
Tene-Omarim agrees to absorb evacuated families
Photo: Haim Horenstein
Morag families will be allowed to temporarily live in the settlement
Photo: Haim Horenstein

Gaza evacuees to move to West Bank

Several settler families from evacuated Morag settlement set to temporarily relocate to West Bank community of Tene-Omarim

Eighteen evacuated families from the Gaza Strip settlement of Morag will temporarily relocate to the West Bank community of Tene-Omarim.

 

Tene-Omarim was established in 1984 in southern Mount Hebron and is currently home to 106 families from throughout the country.

 

However, with the outbreak of the intifada the area became rife with conflict. Furthermore, the security fence built around the settlement for safety will eventually result in the community being surrounded by Palestinian territories. 

 

Many residents fear that with the completion of the fence by the end of the year, the settlement would become a target for attacks in the Hebron area.

 

In the past several residents even expressed their desire to voluntarily evacuate from their homes and receive compensation in the framework of the Evacuation-Compensation Law.

 

Due to this, a number of Morag families showed interest in temporary relocating to the settlement until a permanent housing plan would allow them to reestablish as a community.

 

Families allowed to stay for 2 years

 

A majority decision to accept the families was made during a general meeting at Tene-Omarim at the beginning of the week.

 

According to the plan, the families will live in the settlement for two years. However, they will not be permitted to participate in the internal life of the settlement or hold the right to vote at meetings.

 

Following the two years, should the families wish to join the settlement, each family will be evaluated separately. 

 

Mount Hebron Regional Council Tzviki Bar-Hai took part in the general meeting.

 

"We are speaking about Jews and if we don’t allow them to live in Tene-Omarim, they will be forced to live in the street," he said, adding that the families' move to the settlement with strengthen the community and education system.

 

However, Tene-Omarim resident and former security officer Moti Hershko opposed the decision.

 

"With the construction of the security fence, we do not know what will happen to us," he said. "There are residents who want to sell their homes, but have no one to buy them. Sound people would not make this decision." 

 

"Why would the extreme religious public want to come to us? Their children will not study with ours; they'll probably send their children to ultra-Orthodox institutions," he added. "They will not be involved in the community, except for occasional meetings at the synagogue."

 


פרסום ראשון: 09.20.05, 20:01
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