Israeli National Budget, Not Leaking Money in "The Settlements"

As usual, Ruthie Blum hit the nail right on the head in her Israel Hayom article, Tax shekels poorly spent .  The Left loves to blame the normal living expenses of communities in Judea and Samaria for Israel's budgetary problems.  But the truth is totally different.

Caroline Glick, Moshe Arens, ?,

Ruthie Blum at the Emanuel Winston

Yahrzeit.

First of all, as Caroline Glick mentioned in her talk at the  2nd Yahrzeit of Emanuel Winston, the Israeli economic growth is far better than the American or European.  Contrary to Yair Lapid's scare-mongering, our economy is strong and healthy.

Blum wrote about the terrible results and financial wastes of the Masa Israel Journey program, which instead of encouraging support and aliyah of young diaspora Jewry is fermenting more extreme Leftist anti-Israeli activists.

A recent article by Greer Fay Cashman mentions the over budget expenses of President Shimon Peres.

No one will deny that Peres is the most active of Israel’s nine presidents to date, and travels abroad with far greater frequency than any of his predecessors.
Because he has to take several senior staff and security people with him, the cost of such flights becomes inflated, and last year came to NIS 8.4m.
What the Calcalist report does not mention is the exorbitant cost of flowers.
There are huge floral decorations in abundance at the President’s Residence, and they are changed two or three times a week – especially if there is a state dinner, when the flowers gracing the tables and displayed in giant urns in the reception hall are in the national colors of the visiting head of state. Today, when artificial flowers look so real, there could be a savings of hundreds of thousands of shekels – maybe even millions – if all state institutions made a huge initial purchase of artificial flowers that could be rearranged to suit the occasion.

And about the so called "extra expenses" of the settlements.  That's one of the Left's favorite lies.  Think about it.  Schools, medical centers and other services are needed for citizens wherever we live.  It actually cost less to build in Judea and Samaria, because there's more empty land and real estate cost less.  Teachers get the same salary wherever they live, and rural bussing to school cost the same if in the Negev, Galil or the Shomron.

Housing is less expensive in most Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, so families with lower incomes can live more comfortably.  That's a simple example of supply and demand.  And when families can live more comfortably, than there's less need for welfare and all sorts of social services.  The more homogeneous communities are also socially stronger, helping each other which also reduces government expenses.

As we all know, the Left doesn't let facts get in the way of their ideology.