Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to postpone renewal of work on the ARAN wind farm on the northern Golan Heights until August 1 due to concern about renewed protests by the local Druze community.
This is the second postponement of the project after Netanyahu spoke last month to Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of the Druze community in Israel and postponed work until after the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha (the Feast of the Sacrifice), when ended on Saturday. The postponement contradicted the position of Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, who took the view that work on the project should continue despite the protests.
At the same time Netanyahu has set up an inter-ministerial committee with representatives of the Druze community and Energix Renewable Energies, the company implementing the project, which will be required to submit its recommendations by June 19. The aim is to reduce friction between the sides. Netanyahu has taken this step even though the Supre3me Court dismissed a petition against the project by three members of the Druze community.
The protests against the wind far project erupted two weeks ago with 12 people injured in violent confrontations between police and members of the Druze community. Four policemen were lightly injured, and three demonstrators were severely wounded by gunfire, and four others had moderate or light wounds.
The ARAN (Clean Wind Energy) project began as a joint venture between Druze residents of the northern Golan Heights and Energix Renewable Energies, who wanted to advance jointly a national infrastructure project for producing electricity from wind power. The project will consist of 21 wind turbines, with an output of 104 megawatts and will cost an estimated NIS 700 million. ARAN is intended to provide power to 50,000 households for twenty years. The project involves clearing mines left since the Six Day War of 1967 from 170 dunams (42.5 acres) of land, and restoring the land to agricultural use for the owners. Druze residents claim that the people from whom the land for the project was leased are not the true owners. The issue has become a rallying point for the airing of various grievances of the Druze community.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on July 3, 2023.
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