Slippery Slope

Minister of Finance, Yuval Steinitz (Likud), signed off on a map of national priorities, which provides tax benefits for land purchases for housing in 660 communities, including 87 settlements in the West Bank.  Frontier communities which have been targeted by rockets from the Gaza Strip were not included in the list. (Haaretz)

(Hebrew – Ynet)

The State Comptroller’s report on the Carmel Fire places overall responsibility for the low level of preparedness of the fire services on the whole government, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.  The report places special responsibility on Interior Minister Eli Yishai who is in charge of the fire services and on Minister of Finance Yuval Steinitz who conditioned the transfer of funds to the fire services on their completion of an organizational reform. (Haaretz)

(Hebrew - Walla)

Israel is considering punitive measures towards the Palestinian Authority, after the UN Human Rights Council decided to form an internationl committee to investigate the Israeli settlements in the West Bank, a decision proposed and advanced by the PA. According to a high-ranked Israeli official, at least three ministers of the eight-minister forum support freezing the Palestinian tax revenues collected by Israel for the PA – Minister of Foreign Affairs Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beiteinu), Minister of Finance Yuval Steinitz (Likud) and Minister of Strategic Affairs Moshe Yaalon (Likud).

(Hebrew)

According to Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz, two years ago the Ministry of Defense requested NIS 2.8 billion to build a 200km-long fence on the Israel-Egypt border excluding Gaza, while the Israeli Roads Company requested NIS 1 billion for the same work.

(Hebrew)

Three protesters were arrested yesterday during a demonstration in front of the house of the Minister of Finance, Yuval Steinitz, in Mevasseret Ziyon. One protester was hospitalized with a fractured rib which protesters claim was caused by police violence. Stav Shafir, one of the J14 leaders, claims she was lightly hurt by a police car.

State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss, delivered a special report to Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz, regarding an alleged conflict of interest by the former. In May of 2010 Steinitz granted permits to bring 630 foreign workers for ”Shapir Engineering”, a contractor for which Gary Hakim, Steinitz’ brother-in-law, is a regulation consultant and a lobbyist. The act of granting the permits was against the will of officials in the Ministry.

(Hebrew)

The Budget Department of the Ministry of Treasury refuses to provide the members of Knesset with the detailed state budget for 2011-2012. Treasury has refused requests requests to view the detailed budget to the cabinet minister responsible for improving services to the public, Michael Eitan, and to another minister. Treasury Minister Yuval Steinitz and Treasury Budget Department Chief Udi Nissan claim that publishing the budget at this time would ignite disputes that would make it harder to get the final approval for the budget. The Freedom of Information Movement also asked the Treasury for the budget, but Annette Kleiman, who is responsible for freedom of information at the Treasury, said that “the proposed budget cannot be sent out today, as it is not a final budget, which has passed a second and third vote at the Knesset.” (Hebrew)