There is growing interest among those in the Center and in Jerusalem in
relocating to the Negev or the Galilee. About 2,500 families moved either north
or south in 2010, according to data received from the Or Movement and the Negev
and Galilee Development Ministry.
What’s more, the Or Movement
Information Center received twice as many inquiries in 2010 as in 2009 – 5,765
in last year, compared to 2,886 a year earlier. There were also 3,700 visitors
to the movement’s website (http://eng.or1.org.il) that expressed interest in
relocating.
Two real estate fairs organized by the Negev and Galilee
Development Ministry drew 15,000 people.
“The data shows a changing trend
as a result of a series of projects such as the new medical school in Safed that
will open its doors this coming year, as well as the IDF’s move [relocating
bases] south,” Deputy Prime Minister and Negev and Galilee Development Minister
Silvan Shalom (Likud) said in a statement.
“The change is already felt on
the ground – 1,000 ‘smart classrooms,’ land subsidies, upgraded industrial
areas, sports facilities, festivals and cultural activities, all of these have
raised the interest in the Negev to new heights and transformed it into an
attractive region. We will continue to improve all aspects of the standard of
living: infrastructure, education, health, culture, to promote and develop these
regions that will attract new populations and retain the current ones,” Shalom
said.
“We will continue to make the vision of bringing 300,000 to the
Negev or the Galilee in the next decade a reality,” he said.
Around 2,200
families moved to the Galilee in 2010, according to the ministry. Four hundred
and fifty families moved to the Negev or the Galilee with the help of the Or
Movement, it said. It was not clear how much overlap there was between the
ministry’s numbers and the movement’s. The Or Movement helps in
resettlement.
The area with the highest demand for housing in the Negev
in 2010 was the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council, the new community of Carmit
that is currently being established opposite Meitar northeast of Beersheba, the
Ramat Hanegev Regional Council and the Eshkol Regional Council.
In the
Galilee, the Lower Galilee Regional Council was the most in demand for
relocation during 2010, followed by the Misgav and Valley of Springs Regional
Councils, according to the Or Movement.
The ministry said there were 90
communities in the Galilee that were accepting new members.
Each
community had 50 available plots of land, and another seven communities were
welcoming returning children of members.
On Tuesday, the ministry and the
Negev Development Authority are hosting the Negev Conference in Eilat. The
conference is designed to showcase the region’s successes and solicit support
from government ministers.
Speakers will include: the prime minister, the
president, senior ministers, businessmen and activists. They will discuss the
issues of real estate, infrastructure, development, the IDF’s move to the Negev,
among others.
On April 3, the ministry will host a fair in Rishon Lezion
where 45 communities will participate in marketing 1,700 housing units. The
previous two fairs drew 15,000 people to inquire about relocating.
In the
Negev, waiting lists have begun to emerge for choice locations, the ministry
said. In Dimona, for instance, 600 people vied for 60 plots of land recently.