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Israeli real estate tycoon Yitzhak Tshuva. (Dan Keinan) Last update - 10:56 20/07/2008 Israeli tycoon Yitzhak Tshuva plans to populate Arava desert with 3 million Israelis By Zafrir Rinat Tags: Arava, Yitzhak Tshuva  Real estate mogul Yitzhak Tshuva will go ahead with his plans to build a massive industrial zone in the Arava Desert irrespective of the Red Sea-Dead Sea canal, Haaretz has learned. The canal, which would connect the Gulf of Eilat and the Dead Sea, has drawn harsh criticism from environmental groups. If the canal is finally built, it will come after the industrial complexes and will be on Jordanian land, Tshuva's associates said. The plan is to be brought before the Knesset for approval in the coming days, they added. With or without the canal - which was brought up as a means of refilling the shrinking Dead Sea - Tshuva plans to bring no less than 3 million Israelis to live in the Arava by 2050. Advertisement A team headed by Moshe Tari, former CEO of the Israel Securities Authority, and Erez Ron, the government's project manager for the Peace Canal Administration, is planning toward that goal. The team is already outlining areas where whole cities could be built, including industrial and tourist zones, as well as transportation networks and water sources, in the narrow strip of desert south of the Dead Sea. Although the plan is to use primarily private capital, Tshuva's planners say they expect the state to assist by offering tax concessions and other benefits to Israelis who move there or open businesses there. The plan is based on cooperation with Jordan, which is supposed to promote a similar program on its side of the border, including a large desalinization plant near Aqaba that would serve both Jordanians and Israelis. In its initial stages of operation, the plant would run on natural gas from Egypt or Saudia Arabia. Israeli towns would receive water from the plant via the Arava Stream, currently a dry wadi whose only moisture comes from the occasional flood. The Arava Stream would fill man-made lakes in the center of the Arava Desert, where Tshuva's team hopes to see new hotels and resorts. In an effort to allay environmental fears of mass construction in the Arava, the planning team has drafted a "green" code that states that the construction will not infringe on nature reserves or national parks, and will maintain ecological corridors to let wildlife move between unbuilt areas. Another ecological stipulation states that all the buildings will use renewable energy sources, such as solar power and hydroelectricity, and that factories will have to meet stringent emission quotas and regulations. Tshuva recently announced that many businesspeople had expressed interest in joining the project, including Bank Hapoalim owner Shari Arison, diamond and mining magnate Benny Steinmetz, tycoon Nochi Dankner and industry bigwig Stef Wertheimer and others. Bookmark to del.icio.us   'Icon of evil' Hitler icons take center stage at Jerusalem students' end-of-year art show. Caught on film Human rights group releases video of IDF soldier shooting Palestinian at short range.   1.   questions 11:18  |  Axel 20/07/08   2.   good for mr tshuva! 11:52  |  eric 20/07/08   3.   Yes, spread even more! 12:00  |  Goy 20/07/08   4.   It makes sense 12:27  |  Murray the Mongoose 20/07/08   5.   WOW!!! I don`t know where to begin, and have no space here 12:55  |  S 20/07/08   6.   spells disaster 13:02  |  Rivka 20/07/08   7.   Not the right plan 13:12  |  Joseph 20/07/08   8.   How about 300,000? 13:13  |  Leon 20/07/08   9.   #1 Axel - the answers are in the article 13:15  |  Shlomo 20/07/08   10.   crackpot idea of teshuva 13:48  |  israeli 20/07/08   11.   Where is the logic? 13:53  |  Rina 20/07/08   12.   from dust to dust-in contrast to Saudi failing Israel flourishes 14:02  |  Genuine Tosefta 20/07/08   13.   # 9 shlomo 14:18  |  Axel 20/07/08   14.   Israel will need a lot of water to support so many people 14:18  |  Clickfool 20/07/08   15.   Continuation to #5 S (about pffft - evaporation). 14:59  |  S 20/07/08   16.   3 million people 15:00  |  Cyasher 20/07/08   17.   GOOD FOR HIM, GOOD FOR ISRAEL. 15:20  |  petra 20/07/08   18.   You`ll populate Arava with vacating settlers from W Bank and E Je 15:23  |  Aounist 20/07/08   19.   Detractors of Zionism abound, visionaries are a few 15:35  |  Genuine Tosefta 20/07/08   20.   3 million Jews to Arava and another 3 million to West Bank 15:40  |  Genuine Tosefta 20/07/08   21.   # 10 israeli 15:42  |  Axel 20/07/08   22.   # 19 GT 15:46  |  Axel 20/07/08   23.   MUCH BETTER IDEA THAN 16:16  |  Robert 20/07/08   24.   To Aounist # 18 a good idea and furthermore 16:22  |  dovale 20/07/08   25.   Mr. Tshuva`s plans 16:29  |  Mehr Kalami 20/07/08   26.   Cont. of #19 coz--COMMENT EDITED BY MODERATOR-- 16:46  |  Genuine Tosefta 20/07/08   27.   Auonist - No 18 17:25  |  Palestinian Brit 20/07/08   28.   its a scam or he doesnt know anything about buiness 17:38  |  zionist forever 20/07/08   29.   to Palestinian Brit # 27 18:13  |  dovale 20/07/08   30.   IT MAY BE THAT ALL THE 18:37  |  Robert 20/07/08   31.   Someone needs to buy this "tycoon" a pocket calculator 19:53  |  Dr. L. Brnd 20/07/08   32.   Just say "whoa!" 23:58  |  Eldar 20/07/08   33.   midnight is over ... 01:28  |  Axel 21/07/08   34.   Factory workers who get minimum wage and morgage payments. 03:51  |  Bartley Kulp 21/07/08

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