Friday, January 06, 2006
Olmert Taxes Donations to Gush Katif Victims
Just a couple of months ago, Dr. Daryl Temkin, of Los Angeles California, understood that Israel's evacuees were in crisis and he came up with a wonderful idea how to help the Disengagement victims. He heard that not only didn't most of them have their possessions, but that it would cost them several thousand shekelim to go through their storage containers. Winter weather meant that they wouldn't have warm clothes, and most are in climates much colder than Gush Katif. Buying new clothes, when unemployed and homeless, would be another hardship.
Dr. Temkin wrote up his plan to collect and send warm clothes to the refugees warm clothes, sent it out on the Internet and the project mushroomed. Tons of clothes and other needed items were donated. El Al was generous about the shipping rate.
Everything was going great until the donated items arrived in Israel and Ehud Olmert's taxmen got started! Olmert wants so much tax, that it is financially absurd to pay such a high price to release the donated humanitarian relief items.
This is unheard of for humanitarian donations any place in the world. In the meantime, it's winter, and the clothes, and other necessary items are being kept from the very people who need them. Haven't those loyal, hardworking Israeli citizens suffered enough?
Now, even when help is not only on its way but here and waiting, the government, led by Ehud Olmert is preventing the donations from getting to the victims.
Ehud Olmert, now Prime Minister, has the power to release the tons of donations, so that the Disengagement victims and other needy Israelis can benefit from them.
It's time to protest.
Dr. Temkin wrote up his plan to collect and send warm clothes to the refugees warm clothes, sent it out on the Internet and the project mushroomed. Tons of clothes and other needed items were donated. El Al was generous about the shipping rate.
Everything was going great until the donated items arrived in Israel and Ehud Olmert's taxmen got started! Olmert wants so much tax, that it is financially absurd to pay such a high price to release the donated humanitarian relief items.
Due to the unresolved crisis, more than 3 tons of donated clothing, toys, and medical supplies intended for Israel's needy have been stranded for over four weeksweeks in warehouses at Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport.The American Jewish community that is trying to help the refugees are livid! When I heard about it I contacted Daryl, to make sure this unbelievable situation is really true. And he confirmed it. Olmert's ministry and government are demanding tens of thousands of dollars above the shipping fee for these donations. And due to the delays, thousands of dollars of storage fees.
This is unheard of for humanitarian donations any place in the world. In the meantime, it's winter, and the clothes, and other necessary items are being kept from the very people who need them. Haven't those loyal, hardworking Israeli citizens suffered enough?
Now, even when help is not only on its way but here and waiting, the government, led by Ehud Olmert is preventing the donations from getting to the victims.
Ehud Olmert, now Prime Minister, has the power to release the tons of donations, so that the Disengagement victims and other needy Israelis can benefit from them.
It's time to protest.
