The government spent NIS 1.1 billion on West Bank settlements last year, and could save at least that much if it were to make its spending proportionate to the number of Israelis who live in the settlements, according to two different reports made public this week. Last year’s government spending on the settlements represents a 38 percent rise over that of 2010, reported on Monday by Israeli business newspaper “Calcalist”.
Source: Peace Now
In the second report, which also examines the cost of the settlements released to the public on Wednesday, Peace Now states that Israel could save NIS 1.6 billion a year if it were to match the level of government expenditure on services such as education and infrastructure in the settlements with the number of people who live there.
“If the government would just make per capita spending for residents of the settlements equal to spending for the rest of the country’s citizens, we would be able to cancel the widespread [budget] cuts and significantly reduce tax increases,” said Peace Now head Yariv Oppenheimer.
According to Hadash, MKs Dov Khenin and Mohammad Barakeh plans to introduce a law that would require special Knesset approval for any transfers of funds Israeli settlements in the Palestinian occupied territories. The law would require such approval for any outlays made outside the official borders of the State of Israel – and since the West Bank is, under Israeli law, “administered territory” and not under Israeli civil jurisdiction, the law would apply to spending in the occupied territories. MK Khenin said that the law made a great deal of sense, especially at a time when the government is cutting spending and imposing economic austerity measures on the public. MK Khenin plans to demand a meeting of the Knesset Finance Committee to discuss the unfair and opaque government investments in the settlements.
Related:
Hadash special approval for settlements transfers
Peace Nows plan to save billions by reducing some benefits of settlements
PeaceNowsavingsplan.pdf
