by bureaucracy, political fights and the ongoing corruption of orthodox parties.

Not only does this provide the opportunity for rail freight but it finally integrates North and South in a way that roads on air travel could never do and open up the Negev 'for business' The result is that the population can expand southwards and new connorbations created along the rail route to Eilat And theoretically with the price differential in real estate costs ever widening assuming the infrastructure was in place analysts in Israel tell me that its possible residential property could be as much as 50% cheaper than the national average! The same could apply to industrial premises What a great project....After all the Negev is the very centre of the Kingdom of King David!

Hoo Haaah! The Railroad is a coming! (And its about time!)

You find some rich company in China you get them to fund the building of the line and in exchange for maybe the next 10 years about 80% of revenues from any trade done and a maybe about 20% percentage from any profits Israel Railways earns from this line from passenger transport. After the 10 years is up then the line the lions share of the profits go to the government. That means no financial layout for the government, business and passengers benefit and the government will still earn money from it even if the bulk of those profits will go to the private company who built the line so everybody is a winner. Also if the line is run by Chinese companies then they have the contacts and business clout to get people to put politics aside and use rail rather than Suez.

DIVIDED 4 -lane highway to Eilat? And what about WATER from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea? When I 1st saw the Dead Sea, it was only SICK!