Northern exposure. The Galilee (Illustration)
Photo: Moshe Milner, GPO
The Central Bureau of Statistics and the Galilee Development Authority revealed Wednesday that the number of Jewish residents in the Galilee area is decreasing.
The CBS and GDA, along with the Jewish Agency, published their annual northern-Israel population report recently, stating that during 2006, out of the 1.2 million residents in the Galilee area some 53.1% were of various minorities, while only 46.9% were Jewish.
Facts & Figures
What do northern communities have to offer their residents? Not much apart from more peaceful life, more pleasant surroundings survey finds prior to 2007 Galilee Conference. Majority feel central Israel offers superior quality of life
According to data presented in the conference, while many polls show that the Israeli public believes the quality of life in northern Israel is one of the highest in the country, they also believe job opportunities are scares and so they prefer to stay in central Israel.
The lack of government investments in infrastructure in smaller Arab towns, lead many to relocate to northern cities, said the conference's panels; citing data showing, for example, that the northern city of Carmiel now has 8% to 10% non-Jewish population and Upper Nazareth has some 15%.
"I can't say I agree with the data, but nevertheless we have to do everything we can to boost Jewish population in the Galilee," Minister Edery told Yedioth Ahronoth.
"Some 80% of the Jewish population lives in central Israel, while, 80% of the Arab population lives in the Negev and the Galilee," said Prof. Rasem Khamaisi of Haifa University.
"The only real way to overcome this situation is to stop speaking about the Judaization of the Galilee and start speaking about the globalization of the area."
Itamar Eichner contributed to this report