Negev development increased during past several years.
Negev development increased during past several years.Haddas Parush/Flash 90

The Merchavim Region was hit by dozens of rockets per day during Operation Protective Edge. It is still recovering from the war, but the mayor of the Merhavim Regional Council disagrees with the criticism that the war was unforgivably weak in its efforts to fight Hamas.

Shai Hajaj endorsed the Likud party in an interview with Arutz Sheva, explaining that despite the southern region's tradition of largely leaning to the left, it was this outgoing government that protected Merhavim’s interests.

But beyond issues of security, Mr. Hajaj came out to represent the socioeconomic investments the previous government made in the south.

“Likud promised to implement a plan and they followed through,” referring to a major multi-year project to invest millions of shekels in the region. “They are following up on the major transfer of IDF bases down here. We are definitely benefiting.”

Mayor Hajaj made a public announcement about his commitment to the Likud in 2012, seeing then what he praised in Tel Aviv last night. Merhavim is mostly made up of moshavim whereas only Tifrah and Mabu’im were the only towns in the council as of 2006 with more than 1,000 residents.

“That is changing rapidly, with the council seeing about 1,000 new residents every year.”

In 2009, then-Minister for the Development of the Galilee and the Negev Silvan Shalom held a press conference with leading Religious Zionist figures Rabbi Zalman Melamed and Rabbi Chaim Druckman to announce a long-term project to expand Jewish settlement in the two regions.

That ideological motivation has certainly carried the ministry forward according to Mayor Hajaj.

“Likud is the one making sure there are billions of shekels going to developing the Negev, in every respect and in every sector.”

Hajaj was a public advocate last year during the war to keep up pressure on Hamas, as he continuously cited the danger faced by children in his district who in some cases do not yet have schools protected from rocket fire.

But that is changin, the Mayor says. Hajaj opened his speech last night by saying “I have come to you tonight to speak about an issue that has been largely marginalized in this campaign – Likud’s social achievements.”

Again when speaking with Arutz Sheva, Mr. Hajaj reiterated the critical support that he says the previous two governments have extended to his region.

“Likud has spent billions – billions – of shekels on infrastructure projects in the Negev, including on roads, the new train line, employment centers and emphasis on Beersheva.”

The projects have produced new jobs he said, including a “courageous decision” to move IDF bases to the Negev and thousands of families along with it. In his mind the progress brought to the south has been unprecedented and cannot be risked in the hands of the Zionist Camp.

“Gone are the days of my late father, who could be fired for having a picture of Menachem Begin in his home,” he said last night, expressing a frustration with the Labor Party’s legacy of having a long period of support from the region but not doing much to build up the periphery. In his speech in Tel Aviv, the Mayor of the Merhavim Regional Council pointed to Likud’s economic project to pull the periphery closer to the center of the country.

The Ministry for the Development of the Galilee and the Negev has been in operation for years now with an objective to build economic infrastructure away from the center of the country. But given the small market Israel has, projects were initiated to ensure that as local industry developed that the traditional periphery regions could more easily reach the center of economic activity in Tel Aviv and the Sharon region.

One of the key industries that Hajaj points to moving south is high tech in conjunction with Israel’s National Cyber Bureau.

“We are seeing the quality of life rise here because of the quality of work and the investments being made to bring it here.”

“I dare say in the name of all residents of the periphery in the south and the north that we feel much closer to the heart (of the country) than we ever have before. This isn’t just in shortening the distance traveled, but also by the doors that have been opened, the attention being paid, the sympathy, warmth and great investments (made).”