Weekly Commentary: False savings from hurting settlements

Dr. Aaron Lerner Date: 11 August 2011

28 July 2010

Slashing funding today for the settlements won’t help achieve the “social
justice” goals.

That’s because the operative questions is not if Israel spent a bazillion
dollars on the settlements in the past but how a change in funding today
would impact the situation in Israel.

The first and foremost “social justice” problem is affordable housing. And
it is going to take several years – in the most optimistic scenarios – for
housing construction within the Green Line to close the supply gap that has
pushed prices up beyond the reach of many families.

Any policy decision that encourages families to move from the settlements to
communities within the Green Line would only exacerbate the existing
shortages – making it take that much longer for supply to catch up with
demand.

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(Mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-7255730
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
Website: http://www.imra.org.il