Israeli newspaper: Reconstruction of areas destroyed by Iranian missile attacks hits political deadlock

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - International Service: About 700 residents of various cities lost their homes during the June war, but the Israeli government has not yet begun any official reconstruction operations, and hundreds of families are still in limbo.

 

Two weeks ago, the cabinet approved a plan for the rapid reconstruction of the affected areas and submitted it to the Knesset, but the plan has not even entered the initial review stage in the legislative committees. The main reason for this postponement is the opposition of the Haredi parties Shas and Torah Judaism to approving any government plan until the law on exemption from compulsory military service for Orthodox Jews is determined. Without the support of 18 members of the two parties, the ruling coalition holds only 50 of the 120 Knesset seats and is unable to pass any plans.

 

The plan, drawn up by an inter-ministerial committee headed by Matan Yagel, involves the complete demolition and reconstruction of the damaged buildings and even adjacent buildings. Residents will have two options: receive new units in the reconstructed building or sell the property to the government/developer. However, the financial crisis, the lack of a definitive budget estimate, and the developers’ opposition to tight government oversight have left the implementation of the plan in serious doubt.

 

As a result of these conflicts, hundreds of Zionist families continue to live in shelters or temporary units, facing rising rents and uncertainty about when reconstruction will begin. Israel’s largest post-war reconstruction program remains stalled behind closed doors in the Knesset.