In seeming fulfillment of Biblical prophecy, Minister of Interior Eli Yishai has signed orders to “expand” the Land of Israel, enlarging the city limits of Hadera, Acco, Or Akiva and Arad.
Hadera, Israel’s 17th-largest city with 80,000 residents, is located just off the Mediterranean coast between Caesaria and Netanya. It was enlarged with the addition of dried-up sea land just south of the Orot Rabin electric power plant, lengthening the current promenade by an additional 1.5 kilometers to a total of 7 kilometers (4.5 miles). Additional Orot Rabin property was also added to the city.
Some ten kilometers to the north, Or Akiva – founded in the 1950’s as a transient camp for new refugee immigrants who arrived in Israel from Sephardic countries – was increased by nearly 25%. It received 1,000 new dunams (250 acres) that until now belonged to the Binyamina-Givat Ada Regional Council, for the purpose of housing, industry, and leisure installations. Or Akiva currently has some 16,000 residents.
Further north along the Mediterranean coast, the city of Acco (Acre) has been granted another 530 acres, increasing its size by close to 20%. The land came from moshavim and kibbutzim in the Asher Regional Council, including Kibbutz Shomrat, with their consent. Acco has nearly 47,000 residents.
The fourth city-expansion order signed by Minister Yishai was for Arad, in the Negev. With 23,500 residents, Arad requested and received two large tracts of land to its north and northeast, some of which came from the Tamar Regional Council and some of which had no municipal status. The area is slated for various types of tourism, and the change is designed to help Arad fulfill its tourism and economic potential.