Israel approves 82-million-shekel aid for Judea, Samaria communities

At its weekly Cabinet meeting on Sunday, Israel's government approved an additional 82 million shekels (app. $35m) of aid to Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria that have been hit hard by Palestinian terror. The funds from various ministries include 15 million shekels to cover extra security expenses; 10 million shekels for temporary housing and repairs, six million shekels for welfare-related activities and five million shekels for the development of tourism infrastructure. Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu said the package demonstrated "the mobilization of government ministries for the residents (of those areas) by strengthening their security, helping small businesses, encouraging tourism and more."