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Temporary housing for Gaza Strip's Gush Kaitf evacuees. (Alon Ron) Last update - 12:01 22/06/2007 Two years later, Gush Katif evacuees still need housing By Nadav Shragai, Haaretz Correspondent Almost two years after the disengagement from Gaza, construction of permanent housing has begun at only two of the 26 sites intended for 9,000 evacuees, according to a report by the Gush Katif Settlements Committee. For example, no groundwork has been laid at Nitzanim and Talmei Yafe, projects decided upon months before the disengagement began. The committee predicts that the trailer parks now housing the evacuees will remain in use for at least five years, instead of the two years that the government intended. The resulting problems are legion. Advertisement -Some 1,450 former residents of Gush Katif are still unemployed. -More than 500 families are in bad financial shape, and some even receive food packages and help from welfare agencies. -Because of the rampant unemployment, many families are using their state compensation funds for daily subsistence instead of saving it for building a house. -Only 33 farmers out of 400 have been given alternate lands, and of these, only a handful are back in real business. Those who resumed growing crops face major infrastructure hurdles such as erratic electricity, sewage, drainage, etc. -Farmers lost their overseas markets, buyers and distributors. -A memorandum of understanding with the government on amendments to the Evacuation Compensation Law improved matters on a personal level. However, business owners and farmers will not be compensated for lost income until they can rebuild their businesses. Furthermore, compensation for Gush Katif evacuees is low and does not reflect the true value of their property. For instance, compensation for greenhouses is 60 percent of the cost of erecting them. Compensation for seniority is 10 percent of that granted to people evacuated from Yamit under the peace treaty with Egypt. And 650 people who requested individual property appraisals have received either no decision or a very low assessment, because the state froze individual appraisals after it turned out that many were higher than the compensation afforded by the law. Despite all the above, the committee noted that more than 85 percent of evacuees continue to live in a community framework, in order to uphold their ideals and provide a support network for each other. MK Uri Ariel, who chairs both the National Union-National Religious Party faction and the Knesset lobby for the evacuees, said the report underscores the state's colossal failures. "Housing at temporary sites is continuing long beyond the period intended, and no government ministry has a working plan for the extended stay," he said. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Terror online Israel posts clips on YouTube of J'lem yeshiva terror attack. Remembering Gaza Knesset approves bill to commemorate the Jewish settlements of Gush Katif.   1.   Gush Katif 06:05  |  Joseph Schlussel 22/06/07   2.   Government at Its Finest 06:36  |  Mark of Lewiston 22/06/07   3.   Gaza 07:03  |  Steve 22/06/07   4.   THESE JEWS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN ABBAS 07:11  |  Meir Weinstein 22/06/07   5.   Where is the justice? The state owes these people compensation! 08:01  |  Gili 22/06/07   6.   AN INCREDIBLE RECORD OF INCOMPETENCE AND STUPIDITY 08:28  |  paul harris 22/06/07   7.   As long as OLMERT has his mansion Who CARES? 08:37  |  Shultz 22/06/07   8.   WHERE AARE THEIDIOTS WHO PAID FOR THE HOTHOUSES ?? 10:26  |  paul harris 22/06/07   9.   Gush Katif settlers are political pawns with a purpose 10:48  |  Natallie Durson 22/06/07   10.   To Natallie: Politics and refugees 11:36  |  Moshe 22/06/07   11.   #5 You call for justice? 11:42  |  Don Camillo 22/06/07   12.   #11 don the fake and REVERSE PSYCHOSIS 11:56  |  paul harris 22/06/07   13.   The enemy of my enemy is my friend? 12:15  |  Jasmine Murphy 22/06/07   14.   steal and perish 12:24  |  ravi 22/06/07   15.   There should be an official board of inquiry... 12:30  |  Zev 22/06/07   16.   they goy what they deserve 13:05  |  pooner 22/06/07   17.   Don Camillo # 11 13:28  |  Esther 22/06/07   18.   For Zev #15 13:35  |  Esther 22/06/07   19.   60 years on Pals still need their right to return 13:47  |  moll 22/06/07   20.   They are here, they are not queer 14:24  |  Asylum Aleikum 22/06/07   21.   The irony isn`t lost 15:05  |  Doris 22/06/07   22.   Esther 15:35  |  Avrum 22/06/07   23.   Responsibility and where it belongs... 15:38  |  bat yam 22/06/07   24.   Couldn`t have happen to nicer people. 15:43  |  Beatrice 22/06/07   25.   Just another reason Olmert should resign 16:14  |  Polybios 22/06/07   26.   ZioNaziStan Aliyah OUT 16:55  |  Blame Herzel 22/06/07   27.   My heart bleeds for these criminals. 17:11  |  Labhras 22/06/07   28.   sad fate 17:19  |  Rick 22/06/07   29.   #11 - Justice 17:26  |  Rick 22/06/07   30.   How can they be helped? 18:36  |  CEG 22/06/07   31.   #6 Well Paul, sobeit; you and yours should 18:41  |  ballistic 22/06/07   32.   Avrum and Esther 19:12  |  Don Camillo 22/06/07   33.   #29 Rick in the USA 19:16  |  Don Camillo 22/06/07   34.   Israel learns by America`s example? 13:35  |  Yered Shmuel 23/06/07   35.   I`ll tell you who needs housing... 03:08  |  Marlene 24/06/07   36.   Israel profts from the United States No. 34 15:52  |  Marlene 24/06/07   37.   #34 you are wrong 15:42  |  a. smith 07/11/07

Today Online Dutch MP's anti-Islam film shows clerics' calls to behead Jews Responses: 430 Hamas gets Iranian plans for improved Qassams Responses: 127 Avigdor Lieberman: Israel's minorities must be loyal to the Jewish state Responses: 97 UN: Ex-Lebanon PM Hariri killed by criminal network Responses: 75 Ex-Muslim says converted to Christianity due to Islam's anti-Zionism Responses: 123 Rosner's Domain 38% for pressuring Palestinians, 25% for pressuring Israel (WTR) Bush is still determined not to repeat Clinton's mistakes Poll: what percentage Jews will vote McCain? New pro-Israel-pro-peace dovish lobby ready to launch (WTR) Obama rejects advisor's comments on American Jews and peace process More Headlines 19:47 UN: Former Lebanon PM Hariri killed by criminal network 02:38 Hamas urges Arab states to drop 2002 peace initiative, back violence 22:15 Balad chair: We won't allow another expulsion of Jaffa's Arabs 22:36 Qassam explodes between Negev preschool, children's house 10:43 Ben-Eliezer: Israel trying to revive talks with Syria 22:19 Jewish detractor of Putin disappears from Berlin home 08:39 Avram Grant: the man the Israeli media loves to hate 07:33 Syria: U.S. pressuring Arab leaders to stay away from Arab summit 07:40 Obama: My foreign policy would be like that of elder Bush, JFK, Reagan 15:31 The gospel according to Allam 07:46 ANALYSIS: Isolating Syria serves to highlight its importance 21:31 Three Palestinians killed, 13 hurt in clan violence in Qalqilyah Previous Editions Select Day 28 mar 27 mar 26 mar 25 mar 24 mar 23 mar 21 mar 20 mar 19 mar 18 mar 17 mar 16 mar

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