From the Liveblog of
Sunday, November 9, 2025
Government approves massive Beersheba investment project
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
The cabinet approves a NIS 1.2 billion ($368 million) development plan for Beersheba, the Prime Minister’s Office announces.
The plan, which will see more IDF bases moved to the Negev desert, focuses on four main areas, says the PMO: “economic growth, development of transportation infrastructure, improving quality of life and personal security, and education and human capital.”
To support economic growth, around NIS 200 million will be invested in a civilian-military R&D center in cooperation with the Weapons Development and Technology Infrastructure Administration MAFAT, as well as other projects to expand the “ecosystem connecting academia, industry, and the military,” says the PMO.
A light rail system will be planned and built connecting the city with the suburbs and IDF bases in the Negev.
NIS 500 million will go toward a new police station, expanding the IDF Southern Command, and the “development of advanced technological systems for dealing with regional security challenges.”
The number of psychologists and medical professionals will be increased as well.
The Wingate sports institute will open a branch in the city as well.
According to the PMO, some NIS 120 million will go toward education, with a focus on STEM fields.
The Times of Israel Community.