 |
| B"H |
KKL-
JNF in The Land of The Negev
The
Negev accounts for 60% of the land area of the State of Israel but only 8% of
the population and it thus constitutes the future land potential of the State of
Israel. For that reason, since the
Nineteen Eighties, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund has set for
itself the goal of strengthening the
Negev
, in addition to other
peripheral areas. In the
mid-Nineties, KKL-JNF began a project of vast proportions – "Action Plan
Negev", with the aim of helping the
Negev
communities and promoting and
creating a good infrastructure for their economic and cultural development.
Currently,
together with the Government of Israel, KKL-JNF sees a special challenge in
deepening development of the
Negev
and it is working to that end
on a number of plains: communities, agriculture, forestation, water sources and
tourism.
The
question of the
Negev
and its development is on the national agenda of the State of Israel and of
Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund as well as of many public and
private bodies. This is in light of
the geopolitical, social and demographic situation and the national needs of
people and state. At the conference
of KKL-JNF Leaders which was held in
Jerusalem
in February 2002, the KKL-JNF vision for development of the
Negev
was presented. At the end of the
conference, the KKL-JNF leaders renewed their commitment to invest in
development of the
Negev
in the years ahead. In April 2005,
the KKL-JNF marketing conference was held in
Israel
, and also emphasized the subject of the development of the
Negev
.
KKL-JNF
raised the question of the
Negev
for discussion at the Negev Session of the Herzlia Conference, which
constitutes an academic platform that is taking a central place in the decision
making processes in
Israel
. During the session, KKL-JNF
World Chairman, Yehiel Leket noted that "Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael is ready
to take upon itself the lead in the master plan for development of the
Negev
. In the past five years, KKL-JNF
has invested an amount of 500 million Shekels in the
Negev
and it intends to continue investing in the future with similar amounts."
Next
Page