Livni: Pay protesters full compensation
Justice Minister to recommend Gaza residents who refused to leave homes receive near-full compensationi
Ynet has learned Livni is expected to ask Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to propose changes to the law to offer near-full compensation packages to people without losing some 30 percent of their payouts.
According to the proposal, Livni will ask the prime minister to issue directives to enable Gush Katif residents who were forcibly evicted from their homes but did not resort to violence.
It remains unclear whether the changes would grant moving costs to pullout objectors, as the law does for families that left before the deadline.
Changing tack
In the days leading up to the pullout, sources in the Prime Minister's Office stressed that families who refused to leave would face a 30 percent reduction in their compensation payouts.
But that position has softened in recent days, and some officials in Sharon's office are believed to support a full payout for evicted residents, so long as they did not resort to violence during the pullout.
"Our intention is not to be cruel to those people who stayed put in the belief their homes would be spared, or because they were sent by outside elements, but did not stay in their homes in order to cause disturbances," said one source.
Labor minister supports move
Communications Minister Dalia Itzik (Labor) supported the initiative.
"Up to the last minute, some of the Gush Katif leadership told residents not to leave, that there would be early elections.
"In my view, there is a huge difference between law breakers and those who waited for the soldiers to knock on the door," she said. "I would support a lenient stance towards these people. I don't believe this is a weakness."
Itzik added, "At the same time, a country that can't allow itself to have people take the law into their own hands. We must bring these people (law breakers) to justice."
