Regional Council head David Levy spoke with Arutz-7 about the long-awaited program:
"We've been trying to get this program for a while, and now it has finally been approved. The idea is to use all the empty housing units in our communities, as well as those in Megillot Regional Council [near Dead Sea], Maaleh Ephraim, Rimonim, Kokhav HaShachar, and Mitzpeh Yericho, and make it easy for those who wish to live here and study in the Colleges of Judea and Samaria, Maaleh Adumim, or Jordan Valley. Married couples who do so and commit to be here for four years will receive 12,000 shekels of aid towards rent and tuition. In addition, if one of the couple works in the Jordan Valley during the year, they will receive an extra stipend of 12,000 shekels - all towards the purpose of getting people to want to live here. We're confident that once people come, they'll want to stay - and in fact the phone calls have already started coming in."
Levy said that a widespread publicity campaign is about to start, and "it's very important to us that we attract the full amount of families that we can - close to 100." The other areas mentioned above, such as Megillot, can accept dozens more. Asked if this is not a sign that the Sharon Government sees the Jordan Valley as an integral part of Israel and that Sharon will not cede it in the future, Levy said,
"I compare the situation to a balancing scale. Sometimes a weight is put on one side, and sometimes a weight is put on the other side. I hope that this program will help tilt the scales towards the positive side, and that the Jordan Valley will in fact remain Israeli."
"We've been trying to get this program for a while, and now it has finally been approved. The idea is to use all the empty housing units in our communities, as well as those in Megillot Regional Council [near Dead Sea], Maaleh Ephraim, Rimonim, Kokhav HaShachar, and Mitzpeh Yericho, and make it easy for those who wish to live here and study in the Colleges of Judea and Samaria, Maaleh Adumim, or Jordan Valley. Married couples who do so and commit to be here for four years will receive 12,000 shekels of aid towards rent and tuition. In addition, if one of the couple works in the Jordan Valley during the year, they will receive an extra stipend of 12,000 shekels - all towards the purpose of getting people to want to live here. We're confident that once people come, they'll want to stay - and in fact the phone calls have already started coming in."
Levy said that a widespread publicity campaign is about to start, and "it's very important to us that we attract the full amount of families that we can - close to 100." The other areas mentioned above, such as Megillot, can accept dozens more. Asked if this is not a sign that the Sharon Government sees the Jordan Valley as an integral part of Israel and that Sharon will not cede it in the future, Levy said,
"I compare the situation to a balancing scale. Sometimes a weight is put on one side, and sometimes a weight is put on the other side. I hope that this program will help tilt the scales towards the positive side, and that the Jordan Valley will in fact remain Israeli."