Peres : greenhouse deal with World Bank will not go through

Vice Premier Shimon Peres told a ministerial committee last week that the proposed agreement with the World Bank on the handing over of Gush Katif greenhouses to the Palestinians will not go through because of Palestinian objections.
 
Israeli sources however noted that Gush Katif farmers objected the World Bank offer. According to Gush Katif farmers, the World Bank was willing to sign a deal with farmers to leave behind their greenhouses and receive from the bank, in return, $4,000 per dunam of greenhouses.
 
The initial agreement was for 2,000-2,500 dunams, which, according to sources at the Ministry of Agriculture comprise approximately half the area of greenhouse farming in the Gaza Strip. Following Peres' announcement the secretary general of the flower growers association Mr. Haim Hadad said that the Israeli farming sector highly appreciate the decision made by the Gush Katif farmers no to give in to pressure.
 
Hadad added that leaving many greenhouses behind would create competition to the Israeli flower growing sector. Hadad called upon volunteers to assist Gush Katif farmers to dismantle the greenhouses.
 
Late last week the Ministry of Agriculture released a statement in which farmers are told greenhouses should be dismantled immediately and taken outside the Gaza Strip.