The K’s have twelve children. First expelled from Yamit, they served as Chabad representatives to Gush Katif. They have been shot at and suffered injuries from rocket attacks in Neve Dekalim. Outspoken critics of the expulsion, they have been told they have no rights as they rented their tiny home privately. From Chabad.
The G’s owned their home but their son, recently married, had rented privately. They have a right to a ‘caravilla’, but their son – born and raised and living in Neve Dekalim all his life – has no rights.
The SELAH Authority states that only homeowners and renters of public housing have the right to rent a caravilla for the princely sum of US$450 per month from the government of Israel. Rent money after fifteen months is to be deducted from the compensation. All families must agree to rent for two years or they will lose the IS 15000 (app. US $3000) deposit required on signing and receiving a key.
“We found that our special Sabbath dishes were broken, as well as our crystal glasses, when we opened the boxes that had been stored in the container” said L. “How do we replace the sets we’ve had since our marriage?” The L’s are in their seventies. “To think we have to unpack, rebuild our home, then pack again and move in two or three years. We had not expected to spend our retirement years with this uncertainty.”
One family must receive affidavits from their son’s four former Yeshiva dormitory roommates, to prove he actually attended. Said the M’s, “We don’t even know where the boys live. They were from America. Our son has lost his right to compensation.”
Debbie must prove that each of her six children went to school in Neve Dekalim uninterrupted to receive compensation for each of them.
The T’s are in a bind. Their children were with them during the three years they served in Mexico as emissaries of the government of Israel. Their children might not receive compensation for their years abroad.
Moshe and I are waiting for the keys to our caravilla. Every time we supply the demanded documentation a whole new list of ‘essential documents’ is demanded. All are available to SELAH on computer, but that would make life too easy for us. Yet we are determined to persevere. SELAH representatives call and ask us what’s happening. We explain. The documents keep piling up, the file grows thicker – still no key, no monetary advance, no compensation.
Lest you think malevolent bureaucracy is limited to SELAH, we have been informed by our former home insurers that as we ceased payment of premiums after our home was destroyed, we have to pay penalties eight times the amount of the unpaid premium. If we don’t pay within ten days a collection agency will take our property equal in value to what they claim we owe them. Moshe expects they will take his false teeth.
The GOI must do better - we all must do better
SWAPPING ‘SELAH’ STORIES
by Rachel Saperstein, Neve Dekalim / Jerusalem Gold Hotel
Dan and Aviva are refugees from Gush Katif. Both are devoutly religious, sensitive, quiet-spoken people. They lived down our block. Dan is studying to be a rabbi. Aviva is an assistant kindergarten teacher. When we arrived in Neve Dekalim they were expecting their second child, a daughter, and then we welcomed their third, a son. Today SELAH, the Disengagement Authority, is demanding a DNA test from the family to prove the children really are theirs. The couple must cover the cost of this expensive test. Dan and Aviva are from Ethiopia.
But let’s not say that prejudice is the reason for SELAH’s ludicrous request. Some Sephardi families are being put through the same shameful process. We can be ‘proud’ that SELAH is equally malevolent to all Gush Katif refugees.
The K’s have twelve children. First expelled from Yamit, they served as Chabad representatives to Gush Katif. They have been shot at and suffered injuries from rocket attacks in Neve Dekalim. Outspoken critics of the expulsion, they have been told they have no rights as they rented their tiny home privately. From Chabad.
The G’s owned their home but their son, recently married, had rented privately. They have a right to a ‘caravilla’, but their son – born and raised and living in Neve Dekalim all his life – has no rights.
The SELAH Authority states that only homeowners and renters of public housing have the right to rent a caravilla for the princely sum of US$450 per month from the government of Israel. Rent money after fifteen months is to be deducted from the compensation. All families must agree to rent for two years or they will lose the IS 15000 (app. US $3000) deposit required on signing and receiving a key.
“We found that our special Sabbath dishes were broken, as well as our crystal glasses, when we opened the boxes that had been stored in the container” said L. “How do we replace the sets we’ve had since our marriage?” The L’s are in their seventies. “To think we have to unpack, rebuild our home, then pack again and move in two or three years. We had not expected to spend our retirement years with this uncertainty.”
One family must receive affidavits from their son’s four former Yeshiva dormitory roommates, to prove he actually attended. Said the M’s, “We don’t even know where the boys live. They were from America. Our son has lost his right to compensation.”
Debbie must prove that each of her six children went to school in Neve Dekalim uninterrupted to receive compensation for each of them.
The T’s are in a bind. Their children were with them during the three years they served in Mexico as emissaries of the government of Israel. Their children might not receive compensation for their years abroad.
Moshe and I are waiting for the keys to our caravilla. Every time we supply the demanded documentation a whole new list of ‘essential documents’ is demanded. All are available to SELAH on computer, but that would make life too easy for us. Yet we are determined to persevere. SELAH representatives call and ask us what’s happening. We explain. The documents keep piling up, the file grows thicker – still no key, no monetary advance, no compensation.
Lest you think malevolent bureaucracy is limited to SELAH, we have been informed by our former home insurers that as we ceased payment of premiums after our home was destroyed, we have to pay penalties eight times the amount of the unpaid premium. If we don’t pay within ten days a collection agency will take our property equal in value to what they claim we owe them. Moshe expects they will take his false teeth.
Posted by Ted Belman at December 11, 2005 05:07 PM