Other government buildings, including the Foreign Ministry and the Housing Ministry, are just steps from the station.

The banks administer all the loans, including $2 billion a year in mortgages that the Government's Housing Ministry provides.

The move appeared aimed particularly at the Housing Ministry.

The Housing Ministry doubled the number of apartments available in the Negev.

"I work in the Housing Ministry," she said, her hand on her hip.

The settlers' National Religious Party did, too, with a promise of the Housing Ministry.

The Housing Ministry denied that the contribution was illegal, but the confirmation served to increase internal and foreign condemnation of the move.

For example, the Housing Ministry established a new budget line in 2001 called "miscellaneous general development" that was used to finance outposts.

It also ran a story saying the Housing Ministry was operating with a mentality of "bureaucratic feudalism."

"What this actually proves is that the Housing Ministry gave a lot of money to the illegal outposts."