SELA's refusal to help Gush Katif farmers sued by former Arab employees
- E-mail exchange between David Bedein and PM spokesperson David Baker

[Provided to IMRA by David Bedein]

E-mail exchange - July 9, 2008

#1
To: David Baker
Cc: Mark Regev
Subject: query to PM concerning suits of Arabs who worked for Jewish
farmers in Gush Katif
July 9th, 2008

Hundreds of Arabs who worked for Jewish farmers in Gush Katif have now
filed law suits against their former employers because they, the Arab
employeea, had lost their jobs.

The reaction from the SELA authority, which is supposed to assist these
farmers, was that the compensation granted to the former Gush Katif
residents included funds to pay damages to Arabs demanding reparation
because they had lost their jobs and that any such court cases were the
expellee's problem, not theirs.

Except that the compensation did not cover damages to former employees.

Does SELA expect citizens who were expelled from their homes, who still
don't have permanent residences or employment, to pay off their former
employees from whatever is left of their compensation?.

Will the Prime Minister of Israel intervene to help these farmers pay off
their former workers and also render leagl assitance to them?

David Bedein
The Philadelphia Bulletin

#2
To: David Bedein
Cc: Mark Regev

Dear Mr. Bedein,

Thank you for your inquiry.

Please continue to be in contact with SELA.

Regards,
David Baker

#3
To: David Baker
Cc: Mark Regev

SELA has made it clear that they will NOT help.

The PM oversees SELA

Will the PM overrule SELA?

At the very least, will the PM mandate that the gov't help the Fatif
farmers in court?

Brachot
DAVID

#4
To: David Bedein

I am sure SELA will be of assistance to you, as always.

Regards to them.

David

#5
To: David Baker
Cc: Mark Regev

Dear Mark and David

SELA's spokeswoman spoke with us. Her name is Anat. She made it clear,
once again, that SELA will N O T help the Katif farmers who are being sued
by their former employees.

The question remains: Since the ministerial responsibility over SELA lies
with the Prime Minister of Israel, will the PM overrule this decision of
SELA to assist the farmers who by no fault of their own fired their Arab
workers?

And if not, why not?

Brachot
DAVID BEDEIN

#6
To: David Bedein
Cc: Mark Regev

Dear Mr. Bedein,

Thank you for utilizing the services of SELA.

David