Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., April 29, 2008 Nisan 24, 5768 | | Israel Time: 01:44 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Last update - 17:24 30/01/2007 Adalah: Negev development plan discriminates between Jews and Arabs By Mijal Grinberg, Haaretz Correspondent The Adalah Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel on Tuesday asked Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Vice Premier Shimon Peres to cancel a plan for the development of the Negev desert, saying that it discriminates between Jews and Arabs. The plan "Negev 2015" was put together by a private body called "Daroma" (southbound), headed by Stef Wertheimer, one of Israel's richest men, and has been adopted as official government policy. The execution of the plan is to be carried out under the auspices of "Daroma," which counts among its board members several former military figures. Advertisement The government even agreed to invest NIS 1.7 billion over a period of a decade, until 2015. Nevertheless, the government only budgeted NIS 400 million for the Negev, of which just NIS 150 million came from funds for special projects. According to a document submitted by Adalah to the government, the program maintains and strengthens inequality gaps between Jews and Arabs in the Negev. The document deals with three principal issues of residence and property, employment and education. Bedouin residing in recognized communities constitute only 0.7 percent of the area of the Be'er Sheva district, which is de facto the entire southern district. Bedouin constitute 27 percent of the population of the south. Peres' plan is intended to raise the number of residents in the Negev by 70 percent. Adalah representatives say that even if the plan does not explicitly refer to Jewish citizens, the real estate plans appear to be designed for them. The plan does provide for enlarging several Bedouin farms, but focuses on real estate development in Jewish areas. The program allocated NIS 1.2 billion to Jewish settlement in the south. Meanwhile, it completely ignores unrecognized villages, which comprise some 6 percent of Negev land, or 12 million dunam. While the program includes a construction plan for recognized Bedouin villages, it does not propose using public resources, unlike in the Jewish communities. The program also upholds the wide ethnic separation in the Negev, making no effort to integrate Jews and Arabs in shared communities. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Obscene gestures Alleged 'Heil Hitler' comment lands German lawyer Horst Mahler in court AMOS-3 video Israel's sophisticated new communications satellite launched into orbit.   1.   Is it The Zionist Entity or isn`t it? 17:59  |  bimmer 30/01/07   2.   Development of the Negev or Discrimination against non-Jews 18:19  |  Goldie Klugman 30/01/07   3.   They rejected our help before, why complain now? 18:39  |  Gili 30/01/07   4.   Well, it`s the Jewish State, duh 18:45  |  Steven 30/01/07   5.   ignores unrecognized villages? 18:58  |  Efox 30/01/07   6.   Are You Stupid Or What? 19:00  |  Raymond 30/01/07   7.   re: Bimmer Has a Big Point 19:06  |  Efox 30/01/07   8.   Equal Rights for All Israeli Citizens 19:13  |  Lauren 30/01/07   9.   Lauren,most Beduins are polygamous.Equality also on this ? 20:01  |  Absolute Sweden 30/01/07   10.   Negev Development 20:02  |  Alina 30/01/07   11.   To # 1 and # 8 20:11  |  Moshe Ben Haim 30/01/07   12.   #9 absolute ????? 20:40  |  Labhras 30/01/07   13.   This is Zionism. What`s the Big Deal? 20:48  |  Yaakov Sullivan 30/01/07   14.   Jewish though process 20:59  |  The Barber 30/01/07   15.   10 Alina 21:01  |  Viado 30/01/07   16.   Labhras,are you one of the 2 Betlehem goons,expelled to Ireland 21:04  |  Absolute Sweden 30/01/07   17.   Discrimination against Arabs in Israel? 21:06  |  Clickfool 30/01/07   18.   Equal Rights 21:09  |  Lauren 30/01/07   19.   Fist of familiarity, indeed, mr baber #14 21:11  |  Yaakov Sullivan 30/01/07   20.   Sullivan, what do you care about this 21:38  |  Rachel 30/01/07   21.   Steven 23:51  |  German 30/01/07   22.   Rachel..but is Sullivan right? 23:53  |  Rick 30/01/07   23.   negev 01:04  |  barragan 29/04/08

Read & React Burston: Our Defense Forces, our war crimes, our terrorism Responses: 125 Israel: UNIFIL hiding info about Hezbollah from Security Council Responses: 169 Barak: Hamas is to blame for deaths in the Gaza Strip Responses: 465 Settlers to move into East Jerusalem police HQ compound Responses: 63 Rosner's Domain Rosner's Guest, Ziad Asali: Abbas left Washington less than satisfied Aipac case appeal: June 2nd (WTR) McCain, a foreign-policy schizophrenic (WTR) Poll: Will the new spy case harm U.S.-Israel ties? More Headlines 21:57 IDF: Gaza blast was caused by militants' explosives 22:26 Lebanese army: 12 IAF jets fly over Beirut, Lebanese areas 21:01 Video shows how AMOS-3 communications satellite was sent into orbit 23:49 Iranian official warns against Barbie, Harry Potter toys 22:17 Four wheels and an electronic brain: Meet IDF's newest soldier 17:20 Palestinian militant groups head to Cairo for Gaza truce talks 01:20 Russian-Jewish billionaire to build UK's priciest mansion 15:40 Palestinian court sentences accused collaborator to death 21:59 Gaza militants pound Negev with Qassams and mortar shells 21:09 Bank of Israel to keep interest rates at lowest point ever through May 20:15 Israel agrees to lift key West Bank roadblock upon request from Blair 23:11 Border Police officer convicted of killing Hebron teen jailed for 6 years Previous Editions Select Day 28 apr 27 apr 25 apr 24 apr 23 apr 22 apr 21 apr 20 apr 18 apr 17 apr 16 apr 15 apr

Special Offers Advertisement Learn Hebrew online with Israel's best teachers Sign up for a trial lesson today Pardes Institute Summer Sessions Study Jewish texts and issues in Jerusalem, Co-ed, All Levels Free the Palestinians from: Corrupt Kleptocracy, Tyrannical Theocracy, Abysmal Anarchy Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. ISRAEL BONDS Build Israel Israel bonds - a multi-purpose way to celebrate Israel's 60th Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

Real Estate in Israel

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved