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Residents at the former Gaza Strip settlement of Elei Sinai before the disengagement in 2005. (Limor Edrey / Archives) del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 12:05 16/12/2007 Study: Delay in resettling Gaza evacuees cost state $1 billion By Nadav Shragai Tags: Gaza pullout, Gaza Strip  The delay in finding housing solutions for settlers evacuated from the Gaza Strip has thus far cost the state about $1 billion, a new study states. Yet even this estimate is based on the assumption that all the evacuees will start building permanent houses within a year. If not, the costs could rise even higher. T Advertisement he study was conducted by Professor Ezra Sadan, a former Finance Ministry director general, and Professor Yakir Plessner, a former deputy governor of the Bank of Israel. The study notes that while those evacuated from Sinai under the peace treaty with Egypt received compensation of about $2 million per person, those evacuated from Gaza received only about $500,000 per person. Sadan and Plessner argue that this "stinginess" boomeranged on the government, because it caused most evacuees to opt for "communal resettlement" - meaning new housing built by the government - rather than relocating as individuals. Had the initial compensation been more generous, the study argues, the evacuees could have afforded to relocate their communities on their own - which they would have done far more efficiently than the state is doing in their stead. This, in turn, would have enabled them to return to work more quickly. Instead, the fact that so many are still in temporary housing has delayed their reentry into the job market. The study estimates that the lost work has cost the state some $615 million, while additional payments to the evacuees to finance their extended stay in temporary housing have cost some $225 million. In addition, the Disengagement Administration (Sela) costs the state some $40 million a year. Thus in total, the delay in resettling the evacuees has cost the state almost $1 billion, the study says. Related articles: Most Gaza evacuees won't get permanent housing for 3 years Haaretz probe: Gaza evacuees lose compensation in apparent scam Each Gaza evacuee family to get NIS 1.5-2 million in compensation Bookmark to del.icio.us Divisible capital No commandment says J'lem must be under Jewish rule. No permission granted Should U.S. Jews have a say in shaping Israel's policies?   1.   Send the bill to America 03:37  |  Lori 16/12/07   2.   Never again! 08:16  |  Ben 16/12/07   3.   another case of incompetent stupidity 08:51  |  victor hardman 16/12/07   4.   Where is Yonatan Bassi and his checkbook? 11:21  |  Johnny Weintraub 16/12/07   5.   Evacuees 16:12  |  j10 16/12/07

Today Online Haniyeh tells Hamas rally: We will never recognize Israel Responses: 122 Zvi Barel: In the end, the IDF will go into the Gaza Strip Responses: 52 Ehud Asheri: Israeli Arabs are right to skip Israel's 60th Responses: 24 Planned Madrid peace gathering collapses before even taking off Responses: 21 Rosner: The Reform movement needs a place in Israel Responses: 5 Rosner's Domain Without the Reform movement in Israel, there's no Reform movement Guest: Americans say there's no need nor point in creating Palestinian state Who believes in intelligence reports? So, Should American Jews have a voice in shaping Israel's policies? More Headlines 16:15 Qassam strikes Negev home; baby lightly hurt 16:16 PM: Revival of PA economy must not undermine Israel's security 12:43 Beilin drops out of Meretz leadership race, throws support to MK Oron 14:54 Israel agrees to let 900 Gazans enter en route to Hajj in Mecca 11:02 Was Hollywood's most famous censor an anti-Semite or not? 15:05 Israeli envoys to U.S. to argue Iran still aiming for nuclear bomb 14:11 Iran to Azerbaijan: Show proof for claims of spying on Israel 10:27 Welfare Min. launches policy to allow single-sex couples to adopt 12:24 Court sentences Haifa man to four years in jail for organ trafficking 12:20 Lebanese war film takes excellence award at Dubai film festival Previous Editions Select Day 14 dec 13 dec 12 dec 11 dec 10 dec 09 dec 07 dec 06 dec 05 dec 04 dec 03 dec 02 dec

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