Israel still woefully unprepared for major earthquake, lawmakers warn

Despite more than 20 years of warnings and repeated state audits highlighting systemic gaps, Israel remains woefully unprepared for a major earthquake, officials told the Knesset Internal Affairs and Environment Committee Tuesday.

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The last disaster assessment prepared by the state in 2012 estimated that a seismic disaster would leave 7,000 dead and destroy 28,000 buildings, Knesset researcher Nurit Yachimovich-Cohen said at the meeting.

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Additionally, of a NIS 3.5 billion ($1.1 billion) budget allocated in 2010 to strengthen public buildings, only 4% of those funds had been utilized by 2024, the report said.

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At the same time, the Interministerial Steering Committee for Earthquake Preparedness saw its budget cut by 60% between 2016 and 2022, leaving it with only three permanent employees and no statutory authority to compel government ministries to act. 
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