Israel announces vast development plan for Israeli Arab society
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett at the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, October 17, 2021. AP - Sebastian Scheiner
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2 min
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced a development plan of 30 billion shekels, or more than 8 billion euros, intended solely for Israeli Arab society.
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With our correspondent in Jerusalem,
Sami Boukhelifa
At the head of a motley government, Naftali Bennett tries to please all the parties in his coalition to preserve stability and stay in power.
He first announced on Sunday a
housing construction
program
in the occupied West Bank, as demanded by the Israeli right.
In the process, he is now trying to calm the left by announcing this development plan for Arab Israeli society.
Influential representative of Arab Israeli civil society, Afif Abu Much welcomes this decision.
But he remains skeptical, because he is not sure that she will change anything in the daily life of her community.
"
Let's be honest, this is not the first time that an Israeli government has announced such a development plan for Arab society,
" he said.
They are talking about 30 billion shekels, or nearly 10 billion euros over five years.
Per year, this represents less than 1% of the state budget.
While more than 20% of the Israeli population is Arab.
"
Arabs and Israeli Jews divide
In the corridors of the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament, Ghassan Mneir, Arab parliamentary attaché, goes in the same direction.
He insists on the gulf between Arabs and Israeli Jews.
“
Since the establishment of the Hebrew state, Israel has built nearly 700 towns and villages for the Jews.
For Arabs
: zero
.
Each year, the government invests nearly 8,000 euros per Jewish student, but only 5,000 per Arab student.
Our schools are overloaded.
No Arab city has an industrial zone, unlike Jewish cities.
And the train does not serve any Arab Israeli city
, ”he said.
According to him, 70 years of inequality, from the birth of the Hebrew state to the present day, cannot be erased with such low investments.
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Israel
Naftali Bennett