Last update - 00:00 14/02/2007
MKs from across spectrum back bill on new Arab city in north
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent
Lawmakers from across the political spectrum signed a bill proposal Wednesday calling for the construction of a new Arab city in the north of Israel.
The bill, penned by MK Hanna Swaid of Hadash, was signed by 18 MKs including Reuven Rivlin (Likud), Shai Hermesh (Kadima), and David Azoulay (Shas), and other MKs from the Labor, Meretz, the United Arab List and Balad.
The city would be Israel's first new Arab community since the founding of the state in 1948, with the exception of settlements in the Negev that were built to house Bedouins.
The bill stipulates that the town will be founded with a residential and commercial area, with advanced civil services to accommodate the Arab population. Also, the city would be open to residence for all citizens of Israel without acceptance or membership committee approval needed.
On Tuesday, it was announced that the Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office is planning a comprehensive meeting on the issue. Sources at the Prime Minister's bureau stated that MK Ahmed Tibi (United Arab List) was picked to head discussions on the matter, which will include representatives from all government offices to be affected by the bill, in addition to private citizens in relevant professional fields, such as geographers, city planners, and architects.
MK Tibi on Tuesday stated that he views the discussions on the issues in a positive light, but added that the initiative must be carried out fully.
"The founding of an Arab city is of urgent need. We must make decisions on the matter in order to aid those who are in distress in the Arab sector. What seems revolutionary in Israel, is something completely normal in democratic countries," Tibi stated.
Dr. Taabat Abu-Raas, a geographer from Ben-Gurion University stated to Haaretz that the government must understand that it is in their interest to found a new Arab city.
According to Raas, middle-class Arabs are now looking to improve their quality of life have to move to Jewish towns, like Carmiel, Nazareth Illit, and other large cities to do so.
"Maybe they've come to understand that a new Arab city could be an appropriate solution to the problems of the Arab community and could signal a breakthrough in relations between the state and its Arab citizens," Raas stated.