(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
 
The National Planning and Building Council this morning (Tuesday, 5 January 2016), approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's initiative to build a new Druze town, pursuant to the Cabinet's 18 November 2012 decision. The new community will be established within the Lower Galilee Regional Council, in the Ahuzat Naftali area near Tiberias.
 
Prime Minister Netanyahu:
 
"For the first time since the foundation of the state, we are building a new Druze town. I ascribe great importance to the establishment of a new Druze town that will advance the Druze sector. The Druze community has bound its fate to the State of Israel. The proportion of enlistment in the IDF is among the highest in the state and many Druze are in IDF combat units. This is only part of our extensive activity for the Druze community and we are carrying out our commitments to the community."
 
Building a new Druze town will facilitate the reduction of gaps between Druze towns and other towns in the State of Israel and is part of the Government's many initiatives to advance the Druze population.
 
The Druze towns are built on the slopes of hills and suffer from significant planning limitations due to their locations near nature reserves. The new town will be established on an urban basis close to infrastructures and on land that is suitable for development and close to centers of employment. It will, therefore, provide an appropriate and modern response and will advance the Druze population economically and socially.