On May 17-18, a major conference was held in Nazareth for government officials and 250 Arab mayors, heads of councils, and senior professionals to discuss the progress of the Economic Development Plan for the Arab Sector approved in December 2015. Local leaders in Arab localities are seen as a cornerstone of the Plan representing some of the central stakeholders of its various programs as well as key to its successful implementation.
The Economic Development Plan, unprecedented in both scope and structure, allocates approximately NIS 15 billion over the next five years for the development for all Arab localities in Israel across various sectors including education, employment, culture, infrastructure, and public transportation.
The conference promoted collaborative and open dialogue about detailed aspects of the plan. Along with ensuring the plan will be implemented effectively and addresses the needs of Israel’s Arab society, this dialogue also serves to build trust between national government agencies and Arab localities who have historically felt left out of these processes or harbor doubts such plans will be effectively implemented at all.
Minister for Social Equality Gila Gamliel (Likud) opened the conference, stressing the importance of the Economic Development Plan in Arab society and for Israel at large. She was followed by representatives from various relevant government ministries (finance, transportation, education, housing, among others) who engaged Arab leaders in attendance in detailed discussion to air concerns, opinions and suggestions regarding their respective work plans.
The Authority for Economic Development of the Arab Sector, which is responsible for the overall monitoring and coordination of the Development Plan, presented a special Hebrew/Arabic website dedicated to following up on implementation, providing up-to-date and reliable information about progress, specific projects, and upcoming tenders.