From the Liveblog of
Thursday, December 11, 2025
Government set to approve NIS 100 million plan to encourage growth in Negev
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
The government is slated to approve a new “plan to encourage demographic growth and sustainable economic development in the communities of the Eastern Negev” during a special cabinet meeting in Dimona on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announce in a joint statement.
The plan will see more than NIS 100 million ($31 million) allocated for “infrastructure, personal security, environment, transportation, innovation, and energy” projects in the cities of Arad, Dimona, Yeruham, and Mitzpe Ramon in 2026.
This includes advancing planning for an airfield in Mitzpe Ramon, building up local police, establishing and expanding public buildings, and expanding urban forestry, as well as substantial investment in formal and informal education, the statement adds, explaining that the program’s goal “is to bolster local resilience, attract new populations, and create high-quality engines of growth in the region.”
The government has already invested over NIS 3.2 billion in recent months ($994 million) in the region in recent months, including efforts to turn Beersheba into a major city, boasts Netanyahu.
“This is practical Zionism: bringing real opportunities, quality employment, and a high quality of life to the periphery,” says Smotrich. “Together, with God’s help, we will continue to ensure that the Eastern Negev becomes a major growth engine for the entire country.”
The Times of Israel Community.