The Jewish National Fund - the official "caretaker" organization of the land of Israel - has announced what it calls an "ambitious long-term initiative to increase the population of the Negev with Israel's New Age Pioneers."
The plan, entitled, "Blueprint Negev: It's Not a Mirage. It's Our Vision," details the development of the infrastructure for 25 new commuter communities, using the cities of Be'er Sheva, Eilat and Mitzpeh Ramon as hubs. The new towns will include new housing, reservoirs, community parks, and other amenities necessary to meet the needs of young families. The Negev Desert comprises 60% of the land of Israel, yet only 8% of the population resides there, according to JNF figures.
JNF President Ronald S. Lauder announced Blueprint Negev at the opening plenary of JNF's National Leadership Conference in Los Angeles two weeks ago. He said that two years of research by JNF and Israeli government agencies are the basis for the plan, which aims to bring 250,000 new residents to the least populated part of Israel in the next five years.
"Our aim is to transform the Negev into a region where people choose to live and choose to work," Lauder said. A railway system linking Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to Be'er Sheva is planned, and light rail trains linking Be'er Sheva to the Negev cities of Yerucham, Dimona and Ofakim are also in the planning stages. JNF has already developed seven new communities, and families have moved into their new homes.
JNF and an organization called "Or" have jointly formed the NegeVision Development Authority, a cooperative of many organizations working to recruit and bring new people to the Negev. Planned for development are Park Timna - once the site of an extensive network of sophisticated copper mines and now a nature site including a lake; thousands of family-owned small businesses; the Be'er Sheva riverbed; and more. The JNF is seeking donations in the form of commemorative 21st Century Pioneer Housing Site Certificates. At $10,000 each, donors can thus "help create a new housing site for a Negev pioneer family."
The plan, entitled, "Blueprint Negev: It's Not a Mirage. It's Our Vision," details the development of the infrastructure for 25 new commuter communities, using the cities of Be'er Sheva, Eilat and Mitzpeh Ramon as hubs. The new towns will include new housing, reservoirs, community parks, and other amenities necessary to meet the needs of young families. The Negev Desert comprises 60% of the land of Israel, yet only 8% of the population resides there, according to JNF figures.
JNF President Ronald S. Lauder announced Blueprint Negev at the opening plenary of JNF's National Leadership Conference in Los Angeles two weeks ago. He said that two years of research by JNF and Israeli government agencies are the basis for the plan, which aims to bring 250,000 new residents to the least populated part of Israel in the next five years.
"Our aim is to transform the Negev into a region where people choose to live and choose to work," Lauder said. A railway system linking Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to Be'er Sheva is planned, and light rail trains linking Be'er Sheva to the Negev cities of Yerucham, Dimona and Ofakim are also in the planning stages. JNF has already developed seven new communities, and families have moved into their new homes.
JNF and an organization called "Or" have jointly formed the NegeVision Development Authority, a cooperative of many organizations working to recruit and bring new people to the Negev. Planned for development are Park Timna - once the site of an extensive network of sophisticated copper mines and now a nature site including a lake; thousands of family-owned small businesses; the Be'er Sheva riverbed; and more. The JNF is seeking donations in the form of commemorative 21st Century Pioneer Housing Site Certificates. At $10,000 each, donors can thus "help create a new housing site for a Negev pioneer family."