The government on Sunday approved the construction of five new towns in the northern part of the Negev Desert.
The mostly small communities will include one dedicated to the Bedouin population, Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked and Housing Minister Ze'ev Elkin.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said the decision comes after years of neglect of the area by previous governments. "Our aim is to reconnect the Negev to the rest of the country," he said. "It has become the wild west and the government's authority has been lacking in law enforcement as well as funding," Bennett said.