Head of Beduin issue in PM’s office resigns

Doron Almog resigns as Agriculture Ministry, under Yair Shamir, moves to consolidate control of issue.

By ARIEL BEN SOLOMON
Almog 370 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
Almog 370
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
Doron Almog, director of the Directorate for Economic and Community Development of the Negev Beduin in the Prime Minister’s Office, resigned on Saturday as the Agriculture Ministry, under Yair Shamir, moved to consolidate control of the issue.
Almog refused to comment at this time and referred The Jerusalem Post to the resignation letter he had sent to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
The letter had not been received by the Post at press time.
Shamir’s office sent an email to the Post explaining that the government decided to transfer authority for regulating Beduin settlement in the Negev to the minister of agriculture. The ministry conducted an investigative process with the goal of minimizing duplication and improving efficiency, which will benefit the Beduin. Shamir accepted the recommendations of the organizational team, which called for combining Almog’s office with the Agricultural Ministry, and which led to Almog’s resignation.
Shamir, who took over this year from former minister Bennie Begin in handling the Beduin land issue for the government, is looking to make changes to the Prawer- Begin Bill before pushing for its passage.