Israel still has a long way to go before it is protected from the devastating consequences of a major earthquake.
"Israel isn't properly prepared, not even for the thing people clearly expect to happen here," attorney Yitzhak Saad, a representative of the State Comptroller's office, said at a meeting of the Knesset's State Control Committee on Tuesday.
According to Saad, preparations are proceeding too slowly and inadequately.
"The necessary investment in earthquake protection," Saad said, "is also an economically sound one, because every dollar invested now in emergency planning will later be saved four times over if, heaven forbid, we experience an earthquake for which the country is unprepared."
Presenting a State Comptroller's report on the matter, Saad went on to say that "The report is a wake-up call for all parties because if significant steps aren't taken in time, we'll find ourselves in a catastrophic event."
At the meeting, officials highlighted a dispute between the Prime Minister's Office and the Defense Ministry over which office will preside over the steering committee for earthquake readiness, delaying the implementation of protective measures.
Committee Chairwoman MK Shelly Yachimovich (Zionist Union), said: "I'm sure the head of the National Security Council is taking the report with utmost seriousness, professionalism and thoroughness, but I can already read between the lines that the jurisdiction battle between the Prime Minister's Office and Defense Ministry is going to continue. This clashing is exactly what will prevent all the plans from being implemented and taking effect."
National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat said at the meeting that the "government has made the decision to fortify the home front, at a cost of NIS 5 billion [$1.4 billion], of which NIS 500 million [$136 million] have already been allotted for 2018-2019."
Ben-Shabbat continued: "Fortification of the home front is a central component of the prime minister's security outlook. The NSC has already convened a meeting with all the government ministries to make sure the recommendations presented in the State Comptroller's report are implemented. There is already a draft proposal on granting authority to the inter-ministerial steering committee for earthquake preparation. The wording is still being discussed and will be presented for government approval, in my estimation, within two months. All in all, I'm optimistic."
