Three Bedouin villages are set to be recognized by the government and receive infrastructure, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, Welfare Minister Meir Cohen and Deputy Public Security Minister Yoav Segalovitz announced on Thursday.
Lapid added that the government would pass a national plan to develop Arab society in the coming weeks, including billions of shekels for infrastructure. More towns will be added to the electric grid, added the minister.
"A historic change is happening here and Arab society is taking responsibility together with us and we are dealing with things that have been neglected for years for the benefit of the State of Israel and all its citizens," said Lapid. "We will continue to work to ensure full civic equality for the Arab citizens of Israel, and to address the deep and root problems of Arab society in Israel."
This is the first time that an Arab faction is sitting in the government and this is a golden opportunity to develop the Negev," said Cohen. "Education, health, the organization of a fight against crime, are all on the agenda of the current government, together with the good leadership that exists in the Negev, Jews and Bedouin together."
"This government has enormous plans for in all fields, including Public Security," said Segalovitz, who is the government's nominee for the struggle against crime in Arab communities. "I have responsibility now for the next six months to lead to a change. It can be done. The criminals need to be dealt with and the normative people, who are by far the majority in the Negev, need to be strengthened," he said.