The National Security Council and the Center for Jewish-Arab Economic Development (CJAED) are preparing a plan to establish joint industrial zones for Jewish and Arab local authorities for the ministerial committee for the non-Jewish sector. The intention is to implement the ministerial committee's decision for Arab local authorities to share ownership of existing industrial zones, and for the establishment of new industrial zones for the Arab population.
CJAED director Helmi Kittani said the plan proposes four joint industrial zones at this stage. The first joint zone is planned for Rosh Ha'Ayin and Kafar Qasem. The second zone is planned for the Lehavim Junction in the Negev, to be jointly owned by the Bnei Shimon Regional Council, the Bedouin town of Rahat and the Jewish town of Lehavim.
The third zone will be owned by the Nazareth and Upper Nazareth municipalities, as part of the effort to resolve the dispute over the ownership of the Tzipporit industrial zone, currently solely under the jurisdiction of Upper Nazareth. The industrial zone will be expanded to 800 dunam (200 acres), and will be converted into a joint zone.
The fourth project under study is to annex private land in the jurisdiction of the Majd al-Krum Local Council to the Barlev-Tziklon industrial zone in the Beit Hakerem Valley in the Galilee. In exchange, Majd al-Krum will share in the management of the industrial zone.
The plan's authors believe that although Israel has a surplus of industrial zones in general, there is a shortage of them in the Arab sector. Joint industrial zones can help reduce unemployment, create business opportunities for women in the vicinity, and generate revenue for local councils.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on April 14, 2004