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Negev residents outraged by gov't budget cut
Plan to allocate only NIS 17 million to development of region, despite commitment to invest NIS 17 billion in Negev in next decade, prompts anger, protest
Zvi Alush
Heads of local authorities in the Negev were outraged this week by the government's decision to drastically cut the budget for development projects in the region in 2008.
According to the proposed national budget, the annual budget of the Negev and Galilee Development Ministry will stand at NIS 17 million next year, despite previous government decisions to allocate NIS 17 billion to the region in the next 10 years.
"This means that most of the projects in the Negev: roads, education, supporting the Bedouin population, building high-tech parks, will go down the drain," said enraged head of the Negev Development Authority Shmulik Rifman Monday.
"The government officials decided to walk away from their statements that the Negev stands at the top of the government's priorities," he added.
Jacob Edery, minister for the development of the Negev and Galilee, said that he intended to "wage war" against the planned budget cut. President Shimon Peres has also joined the struggle and stated that he was sure the finance minister and prime minister would not agree to the cut.
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