The decision also includes a plan for promoting the Hebrew language in all age groups in the Druze and Circassian villages included in the decision.
By TOBIAS SIEGALDruze village Majdal Shams(photo credit: Hadas Parush)
The government approved on Sunday a proposal made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Finance Minister Israel Katz to provide financial funds for supporting Druze and Circassian villages throughout the country.The plan includes allocating NIS 40 million for the development of income-generating projects and an infrastructure development projects, as well as an additional NIS 10 million for building residential areas and public institutions. The proposal also includes developing a plan for bypassing regulatory barriers relating to housing, planning and development.The decision follows previous government decisions that defined certain Druze and Circassian towns as a national priority for investment and development.The decision also includes a plan for promoting the Hebrew language in all age groups in the Druze and Circassian villages included in the decision. The plan is to be developed by the Education Ministry, with one of its major objectives being for schools that serve Druze and Circassian communities to teach scientific and technological professions in high-schools in the Hebrew language.Netanyahu congratulated the government's decision, emphasizing "the great commitment we have to our Druze and Circassian friends."Gantz added that "our Druze and Circassian citizens are an inseparable part of the country. They contribute and serve it in the military, but not as less important - in the public and economic sectors and in all leadership positions. Supporting these communities, that mostly live in the country's periphery, is extremely important for the development of our society."
