Jewish Agency Presents NIS 50 Million Aid Package to Residents of Southern
Israel

Sharansky: "This is a continuation of the Jewish world's massive outpouring
of solidarity with the people of Israel and the residents of the South… We
are partnering with the Government of Israel to ensure that this pioneering
spirit endures well into the future, drawing ever more people to this area
and keeping it strong and vibrant for many years to come. This is the
Zionist response to this summer's events, and it is an expression of our
commitment to the residents of southern Israel "

The Board of Governors of The Jewish Agency for Israel, comprised of Jewish
leaders from around the world, is meeting in southern Israel; the meetings
will center on a comprehensive aid package aimed at strengthening the
region, including assisting local businesses, presenting students with
scholarships, presenting grants to victims of rocket attacks, constructing
bomb shelters, and offering support to new immigrants and IDF lone soldiers

ASHKELON, ISRAEL – The Jewish Agency for Israel has developed a NIS 50
million ($13.22 million) aid package to help the communities of Israel's
south recover from this summer's hostilities, thanks to contributions from
the Jewish Federations of North America, Keren Kayesod-UIA, and other
donors.

The aid package includes a series of programs aimed at enabling the
communities of southern Israel, particularly those closest to the border
with Gaza, to expand their population bases and support a range of groups
with an investment of NIS 25 million. It also includes NIS 25 million worth
of aid extended to the residents of the South during the summer's
hostilities.

The Jewish world's support for southern Israel will be at the center of the
Jewish Agency Board of Governors' meetings, taking place this week
(Sunday-Tuesday) in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon and the
surrounding area. Hundreds of Jewish leaders from around are participating
in the gathering, which is being led by Chairman of the Board of Governors
Charles (Chuck) Ratner and Chairman of the Executive Natan Sharansky. The
gathering had been scheduled to take place in Mexico but was moved to
southern Israel as an expression of support for the region's residents
following their difficult summer.

Opening the gathering, Sharansky thanked The Jewish Agency's partners in the
Jewish world and said: "This is a continuation of the Jewish world's massive
outpouring of solidarity with the people of Israel and the residents of the
South over the course of the summer. The Jewish Agency built southern
Israel, helping the early pioneers establish these towns and communities in
the country's early years. During the war, we stood with the residents and
channeled the solidarity and support of world Jewry. Today, we are
partnering with the Government of Israel to ensure that this pioneering
spirit endures well into the future, drawing ever more people to this area
and keeping it strong and vibrant for many years to come. This is the
Zionist response to this summer's events, and it is an expression of our
commitment to the residents of southern Israel."

Maj. Gen. Shlomo (Sami) Turgeman, GOC of the IDF Southern Command, addressed
the Board of Governors at Kibbutz Nahal Oz, one of the Israeli communities
nearest to the border with Gaza, and said: "We are fighting for our homes
here. Your decision to hold the Jewish Agency Board of Governors' meetings
in southern Israel after Operation Protective Edge is a massive source of
strength for me personally and for the soldiers under my command."

The aid package being developed includes scholarships for local students,
assistance to local businesses, grants for victims of rocket attacks, the
construction of bomb shelters, and support for new immigrants and IDF lone
soldiers. These initiatives join a range of programs run by The Jewish
Agency during the summer's hostilities, including taking some 75,000
children and teenagers for recreational activities outside the line of fire,
thanks to contributions from the Jewish Federations of North America, Keren
Hayesod-UIA, and other donors.

In the coming days, The Jewish Agency will present some 1,300 students
within four kilometers (roughly 2.5 miles) of the Gaza border with
scholarships aimed at offsetting the cost of rent and drawing young people
to the area. The scholarships, funded by the Jewish Federations of North
America and individual Jewish Federations, will be awarded to students
studying at one of the academic institutions in the area or residing in the
region. Each student will be provided with a scholarship of more than NIS
5,700 ($1,500).

The aid package will also seek to strengthen and rescue small and
medium-sized businesses whose operations were adversely affected by the
rocket fire. The Jewish Agency will run a special loan fund with favorable
rates for businesses within 40 kilometers (25 miles) of Gaza, as well as for
businesses from throughout southern Israel in the tourism, service, and
commercial sectors.

In addition, private bomb shelters throughout southern Israel will be
refurbished via The Jewish Agency's sheltered housing subsidiary, Amigour,
which has built thousands of shelters in Sderot and other southern Israeli
communities in recent years. The project will be fully coordinated with the
Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry of Defense.

The Jewish Agency will also provide support to various groups, including new
immigrants residing in Jewish Agency absorption centers in southern Israel
and IDF lone soldiers wounded during Operation Protective Edge.

The Jewish Agency's Fund for Victims of Terror has been extending financial
aid to families who experienced injury or loss as a result of the summer's
hostilities and whose homes were damaged by rocket fire. The NIS 4,000 grant
is presented to each family immediately after the incident in order to
enable the family to address its most immediate needs. In addition to the
immediate assistance, the Fund provides supplemental aid of up to NIS 25,000
($6,600) to families recognized as victims of terror by the Government of
Israel.

In the wake of this summer's hostilities, The Jewish Agency has also
increased its efforts to connect young Jews to Israel via the hundreds of
Jewish Agency shlichim (emissaries) posted around the world and by boosting
the number of Jewish Agency Israel Fellows (young Israeli college graduates
posted on North American college campuses in partnership with Hillel).