Comptroller to look into NIS 5 billion in missing funds for Gush Katif evacuees
MK Stav Shaffir says billions of shekels missing from the records of the Gaza Disengagement Authority, which is now part of the Agriculture Ministry. The funds are meant to help resettle the evacuated families, 160 of which have yet to move into a permanent home.
The Disengagement Authority, which was formed ahead of the evacuation of the Gush Katif settlements in Gaza in 2005, was essentially dissolved over two years ago after having gone through many changes over the years.
After it was dissolved and most of its employees dismissed, the handling of the Gush Katif evacuees was entrusted to the Agriculture Ministry. Today the authority functions as a department within the ministry, under the leadership of Minister Uri Ariel (Bayit Yehudi).
Despite being dissolved, the authority continues receiving a budget of billions of shekels. Only two weeks ago, for example, the authority received NIS 160 million. It remains unclear, however, whether the money went to the evacuees or to the Agriculture Ministry.
The matter first came to light during a discussion at the Knesset's State Control Committee. MK Stav Shaffir (Zionist Union) noticed discrepancies between the big budget allocated for the authority and what was happening on the ground.
For example, she found no explanation as to why only NIS 8 billion out of NIS 13 billion were used to benefit the Gush Katif evacuees, nor could she figure out what happened to the remaining NIS 5 billion.
Shaffir sent her findings to the state comptroller, leading him to launch an investigation into the authority's funds management.
Most of the Gush Katif residents who were evacuated from their homes as part of the Gaza Disengagement Plan moved to temporary structures in Nitzan, which is the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council in southern Israel. Of the 1,680 families evacuated, 180 families remain that have yet to move into permanent homes.
Over the years, serious problems arose for the evacuated families: problems with employment, welfare, education, mental health, and others. But the handling of the evacuees was mostly left to the regional council.
A regional council official spoke of the difficulties in dealing with the Disengagement Authority, accusing that "There are millions of shekels there that are being held hostage. They owe the regional council a lot of money, which is meant for the evacuees or for the plan to rehabilitate their lives. Everything is moving along slowly. It appears that there are people sitting on these budgets and refusing to let these funds go for reasons only they know."
MK Shaffir welcomed the state comptroller's decision to launch an investigation into the matter, saying the "conduct of the Disengagement Authority and Minister Uri Ariel raises suspicion of the corrupted use of public funds, which causes even more damage to the Gush Katif evacuees. Some of the money for the evacuees—millions of shekels—was given to secret advisors and dozens of lawyers, and a big part of the money simply disappeared from the authority's records."
The Agriculture Ministry said in response: "The issuing of a letter of undertaking by the state for a certain purpose is not akin to automatic payment. Every letter of undertaking is written and signed based on certain conditions that need to be met. For example, the requirement to receive approval for work plans before the issuing of a letter of undertaking, as well as the requirement to submit execution reports and provide supporting documents. The regional council must submit to the ministry a series of documents and the transfer of funds will only be done upon the examination of these documents."
