Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with the top four leaders of the Joint List on Monday, August 31st, to reach a last minute budget agreement for Arab localities in Israel.
Photo credt: Tal Schneider and The Plog
Arab leaders had declared in July that a general strike would be called for September 1st (both the first day of school and one day prior to Knesset discussions on the national budget) if their prior requests for a budget proposal for Arab localities were not answered. This strike would include students and teachers in the Arab public schools.
The agreement, reached between PM Netanyahu, MKs Ayman Odeh, Masud Gnaim, Jamal Zahalka, and Ahmad Tibi, Mayor of Sakhnin (Chairman of the Committee of Arab Heads of Municipal Authorities), and the Director General of the Prime Minister’s Office, Eli Groner, adds NIS 900 million over 5 years to budgets allocated to Arab localities in Israel. No less important, the meeting led to an agreements to jointly develop a “Multi-Year Plan to Close Gaps and Enhance Economic Integration” in 30 days, and the establishment of an “implementation and monitoring committee” composed of representatives of relevant government ministries, Arab authorities and Arab MKs.
In response to the agreement and cancellation of the strike, MK Odeh stated that “we managed a stubborn struggle and managed to reach an agreement with the PM office and the Ministry of Finance… this plan is an important step but the real test now is the test of implementation.” MK Ahmed Tibi welcomed the plan, saying that this is a decision in the right direction. Some Arab mayors, on the other hand, criticized the agreement for being insufficient and expressed frustration at not being consulted about the cancelation of the strike.
A number of civil society organizations welcomed the agreement. Sikkuy, for example, called it “a breakthrough in narrowing budgetary gaps between Jews and Arabs.”
MK Avigdor Liberman criticized the agreement saying “Netanyahu is shooting the State in the foot” by agreeing to transfer funds through the Arab MKs “rather than strengthening the moderate elements.”
For his part, Prime Minister Netanyahu came out strongly in favor of the agreement, stating: “I am the prime minister of all citizens of Israel and the aid plan that we agreed on today is a significant correction and another step designed to integrate Israeli Arabs into Israeli society as equals.”
Further reading:
Israeli-Arab leadership, PM reach budget deal worth 900m to avert strike – Jerusalem Post – Ariel Ben Solomon – 8.31.15
General strike headed off in Arab towns and cities – Times of Israel – 8.31.15