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'Settlements got more funds from State'
Settlements received preferential treatment when it came to municipal budgets in 1995-2004, Adva Center report says
Ynet
West Bank and Gaza settlements continued to enjoy preferential treatment when it came to municipal budgets in the decade of 1995-2004, according to a report by the Adva Center,
a policy analysis institute that focuses on equality and social justice.
Despite the deep cuts during this period in municipal budgets earmarked by the government, settlements were favored when it came to construction and the paving of new roads, the Center says.
Meanwhile, Arab communities within Israel enjoyed the lowest municipal budgets, the report said.
According to the document, the municipal per-capita income drawn from Interior Ministry funds stood at NIS 1,241 (about USD 275) in Gaza, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights. Meanwhile, residents in development towns only received an average of NIS 802 (about USD 180) per capita and Arab communities received NIS 738 (approximately USD 170) per resident.
Settlements enjoy double per-capita funding
Meanwhile, settlements were also on top when it came to municipal funds earmarked for providing various public services, such as education, health, and welfare.
The differences were even more blatant when it came to special funds earmarked for development. In 2004, settlements enjoyed almost double the per-capita funding compared to development towns.
On another front, government involvement in construction in the West Bank and Gaza was significantly higher than it was in Green Line Israel. In the period covered by the report, the State was responsible for about 40 percent of overall construction investment in the settlements compared to only 16 percent of the investment within the Green Line.
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