Minister of Transportation Merav Michaeli (Labor) spoke on Thursday at the "Galilee in the Center" conference held in the city of Akko (Acre) and said, "For too many years, the State of Israel has been the State of Judea and Samaria. It is time for it to return to being the state of the Negev and the Galilee."
According to a report in Israel Hayom, Michaeli added, "We will make a tremendous effort to bridge the gap in infrastructure between the Arab authorities and the authorities in the rest of the country. Together with the Ministry of Social Equality, about two billion shekels will be invested in Arab authorities in the coming year. In addition, there is a plan that is beginning to be implemented, led by the Ayalon Highway Company, as part of which roads will be paved within the Arab authorities."
She later commented on the infrastructure in northern Israel, saying, "We understood that any road that is built very quickly becomes congested, therefore public transportation must be prioritized and therefore a light rail in the area will come before the extension of Highway 6, which will be promoted later."
"We will double the number of bus extensions and double the bus services in the Galilee and the north. Also, there are authorities that do not have sidewalks to walk on, this is not acceptable. We will create a standard, that every construction of a road, every construction of a station, will come the appropriate connection - a bicycle path, sidewalks and infrastructure for light vehicles."
MK Fateen Mulla of the Likud responded to Michaeli's remarks against Judea and Samaria and said, "I must correct you, the State of Israel belongs to both the Galilee and Judea and Samaria."