Pessimism in the North regarding Gadi Eisenkot's rehabilitation plan — his party promised: "We will prove you wrong"
Mateh Asher Regional Council head Moshe Davidovich claimed that "one must not believe politicians," but noted: "If 70% of what was presented is accepted — we will be in paradise." The leadership of the Yeshar! party says they see importance in assisting the region, but heads of authorities and organizations in the north criticize the fact that there is no representative from the region in a realistic spot on the party's list.
"If 70 percent of what was presented is accepted, we will be in paradise": this was declared by the chairman of the Confrontation Line Settlements Forum and head of the Mateh Asher Regional Council, Moshe Davidovich, in a conversation with ynet, regarding the "Rehabilitation and Prosperity of the North" plan of Yeshar! party chairman Gadi Eisenkot.
The project, costing 15 billion shekels, includes the rehabilitation of the protection system for northern settlements with an investment of six billion shekels, as well as nine billion shekels to be invested in all areas of life in the north, with an emphasis on industry, agriculture, education, health, and tourism. The project was prepared by Shaul Meridor, former head of the Budget Department at the Ministry of Finance and a candidate on the Yeshar! list for the Knesset. Davidovich said that last week, at a meeting where the plan was presented to the heads of authorities from the Confrontation Line Forum, he told Meridor that "one must not believe politicians" — and he replied, "Our job is to prove you wrong, and we are standing by it."
Despite the importance that the Yeshar! leadership sees in the challenges of the Galilee, chairman Eisenkot has not yet seen fit to place a representative from the region in a realistic spot on the election list — and is receiving much criticism for this. The Yeshar! party understands that the government failed to provide answers to the north throughout the war, and ahead of the elections, Eisenkot is trying to create trust between the residents and the government he hopes to form. He pledged to pass the new rehabilitation plan, in addition to the one passed by the current government with a budget of more than 20 billion shekels.
The project covers a variety of significant issues concerning the rehabilitation of the region and its protection. Large parts are similar to decisions that have already been budgeted, and others promise to raise the tax benefit ceiling for border settlements to 25%, and at least by an additional 4%. Eisenkot also seeks to replicate within five years the protection and fortification policy for all educational institutions and clinics in all confrontation line settlements, similar to the Gaza envelope.
However, because of this, the plan is criticized by professionals in the Home Front Command for potentially allowing "a reality of life in a routine of 'drizzling fire' like the Gaza envelope, and this is because during a security escalation of an actual war, studies are stopped anyway."
Eisenkot promised to allocate huge additional budgets to the plan, and Meridor declared that the money for the project will come from "canceling coalition funds in favor of rehabilitating the north, and canceling budgets for draft-dodging bodies that refuse to take part in a draft-for-all program — which ranges between 7 and 9 billion shekels."
In Eisenkot and Meridor's plan, there is a separate reference to Kiryat Shmona — the district city of the eastern Galilee — which experienced the greatest crisis in the disaster-stricken region, after which half of its residents did not return to it at the end of the prolonged evacuation. Avichai Stern, the mayor, said that the great interest and attention that the city brings to the political discourse is important in his eyes. "Anyone who deals with Kiryat Shmona is blessed," he noted. According to him, "I am happy that Kiryat Shmona is finally receiving interest in the election campaign, and that is how it should be. Kiryat Shmona knows how to give back and embrace everyone who wants to support it."
Last week, the Confrontation Line Forum appealed to the heads of parties in Israel, who see themselves as those seeking to lead the formation of the next government, and invited them to professional working meetings, the goal of which is to ensure that the issue of the north will be at the heart of the national agenda. The candidates were asked to present their full worldview and translate it into clear commitments that will be embedded in the coalition agreements and the government's work plans. Alongside Eisenkot, who was the first to appear before the forum, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman, and Beyachad chairman Naftali Bennett were also invited. Of the other three, only Lieberman and Bennett have responded to the invitation so far.
