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Israeli official blasts slow handling of evacuated Gaza settlers' plight By Tomer Zarchin, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Settlers, Gaza, Israel News  State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss said in a report released Wednesday that the shortcomings in dealing with disengagement evacuees constituted "foot-dragging," and the way housing issues were handled showed a "lack of sensitivity" to the situation facing the evacuees. Employment issues were also poorly handled, Lindenstrauss found. The report is a follow-up; an initial report on the government's treatment of the Jewish settlers evacuated from the Gaza Strip in August 2005 was released in March 2006. The current report discusses the functioning of Sela, the administrative body established to deal with the needs of evacuees, the Housing Ministry, the Interior Ministry and the Finance Ministry's budgets department and accountant general. Among other things, the report looked into the treatment of businesses that were evacuated from the Gaza Strip following the disengagement, how employment issues were managed and the state of infrastructure in the locations where the evacuees were temporarily resettled. Following the release of the report, the Knesset State Control Committee decided to establish a state committee of inquiry into the treatment of the evacuees. Advertisement More than three years after the disengagement, the report found that most of the evacuees who chose to move with their entire communities (two-thirds of the group) were still living in temporary homes. As of December 2008, lots had been allocated for construction for only 605 households of the 1,751 households that had chosen this route. Only 50 families have completed the construction on their homes. The report states that many evacuee families are suffering from uncertainty and depression. Lindenstrauss found that delays in housing were caused by the housing and defense ministry passing responsibility from one to the other. The report also called efforts to find new jobs for the evacuees few and ineffective. Assistance to businesses that were evacuated was faulty, the state comptroller said: Most business owners were not rehabilitated, among other reasons because of delays in receiving compensation and in the move to permanent homes. "The evacuees paid a heavy personal price due to evacuation and continue to pay to this day," Lindenstrauss wrote. "Years have passed and many are still in temporary housing and without jobs, while the authorities, first and foremost Sela, continue to operate slowly not in keeping with the heavy responsibility they bear," he also wrote. The committee of Gush Katif evacuees said yesterday in response that the report bears out their claims of the government's failure to keep its pledges to them, and that it hoped the establishment of a state committee of inquiry would speed up solutions. Sela responded that it had not yet seen the report. However, a spokesman said various draft reports of state comptroller reports had not criticized the speed of Sela's treatment of housing issues, but rather that it had done too much for the evacuees without following the rules. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Fallen hero Relatives mourn Maj. Roey Rosner, 27, killed Wednesday by Gaza militants. On the northern front Hezbollah denies responsibility for two rockets fired at Israel from Lebanon.

Read & React Red Cross: Israel breaking int'l law, letting children starve in Gaza Responses: 114 Two Lebanon rockets hit North; Hezbollah denies involvment Responses: 68 Yossi Melman: Excellent intel on Gaza shows Israel learned from Lebanon errors Responses: 21 Yoav Stern: Rocket fire on North may be realization of Iran threat Responses: 25 Gideon Lichfield: So, why isn't Israel winning the PR war? Responses: 74 More Headlines 23:04 Third IDF soldier killed in Gaza over past 24 hours 22:37 Draft UN Security Council resolution doesn't call for immediate Gaza truce 02:23 Report: Obama ready to talk to Hamas after taking office 02:24 'This country exists because of people like him' 22:35 Israel to present complaint to UN over Lebanon rocket fire 01:24 European Jews to hold rallies supporting Israel's Gaza offensive 22:10 'I pray that he will watch over us, he died a hero' 22:38 At least two Lebanon rockets hit north Israel; Hezbollah denies involvment 02:06 UN: Army admitted school shelling was by mistake 18:20 Get up to the minute coverage of the warfare in Gaza directly to your email 22:05 IDF Chief of Staff Ashkenazi tours Gaza battlefields 23:11 WATCH: Olmert spokesman says Israel never sought war in Gaza 18:12 ANALYSIS / Rocket fire on North may be realization of Iran threat 19:57 UN says halting aid to Gaza, citing danger to staff from IDF 15:01 ANALYSIS / Excellent intel on Gaza shows Israel learned from its errors in Lebanon 19:07 Palestinians: 35 found dead in rubble of Gaza battle zone 17:07 Olmert: IDF has not yet achieved all its goals in Gaza offensive 20:35 WATCH: U.S. Senate voices strong support for Israel's Gaza battle against Hamas 18:53 Sarkozy: Halt to arms smuggling is key to Gaza cease-fire 16:08 Red Cross: Israel breaking int'l law, letting children starve in Gaza 21:49 Iran bans volunteer suicide bombers from traveling to Israel 17:18 Palestinian shot dead after trying to blow up settlement gas station Previous Editions Select Day 08 jan 07 jan 06 jan 05 jan 04 jan 02 jan 01 jan 31 dec 30 dec 29 dec 28 dec 26 dec

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