The Finance Ministry has announced that it is tripling its budget for the Bedouin community in Israel, from 1 billion to 3 billion shekels (from about $260 million to about $780 million). The Ministry is also examining the possibility of allocating funding from the budget to illegal Bedouin settlements.
The announcement was made at a conference at the new Idan Hanegev industrial park. The subject of the conference, which was organized by the The Arab Jewish Center for Equality, Empowerment and Cooperatio (AJEEC-NISPED) was equal opportunities in the Negev region. The conference marked the opening of a joint Jewish-Bedouin industrial zone between the Rahat municipality and the Bnei Shimon Regional Council.
Shira Bergman, a representative of the Finance Ministry's budget division, said at the conference: "The scope of the budget for investment in the Bedouin sector is going to grow significantly, from one billion [shekels] to three billion [shekels]. This budget for the Bedouin sector is in addition to what was decided in Government Resolution 922-in addition to the budget which was allocated to the Arab sector in Government Resolution 922."
"We intend to examine [possible] changes to the distribution of grants which the Bedouin authorities provide to residents who are not registered in the register of residents." she added. "Another thing which we will examine is the "absorption basket" which is granted to the local Bedouin authorities to assist with the absorption of the residents of unrecognized communities."
The head of the AJEEC-NISPED, Kher Albaz, praised the initiative. "The Finance Ministry has for the first time recognized the hardships and difficulties suffered by the residents of the unrecognized communities, and will start to solve those difficulties."
MK Ayman Odeh, the head of the Joint Arab List, said that "recognizing the unrecognized communities is the best solution not only for the Arabs, but for the Jews. It's good for the economy, good for [public] health, good for public transportation. It's good for both sides."