(ZENIT News / Tel Aviv, 16.07.2024).- On June 30, the Israeli Government approved the construction of a city with 15,000 apartments to house 80,000 inhabitants of the Jewish ultraorthodox community, local media reported.
It will be built near the Bedouin city of Rahat, 12 kilometers north of Beersheba, the largest city of the Negev desert, in the south of Israel. It will be called Tilah and will cover an area of four square kilometers.
Initially it was planned as a secular and religious city, but eventually it was decided to organize it to attend only to the needs of the ultraorthodox community, which has a high birthrate. Israel’s Institute of Democracy stated in its 2023 Annual Report that the ultraorthodox society has 1,280,000 members in the country, representing 13.5% of the total population and constantly growing, compared with other Israeli groups.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the construction of a new city will be much more expensive than expansion in existing urban areas. It also warned of impacts in unemployment and the difficult development of urban infrastructure. Beersheba’s leaders expressed concern over the increase of residents with greater purchasing power, which will weaken existing cities. Environmental groups mentioned the dangers of the project in natural areas.
The Israeli Government includes four religious parties and has promised social reforms, which will benefit the ultraorthodox sector, so that the objections put forward have not halted the Governments approval of the plans for the city. Alternatives of amplification of the western districts of Kiryat Gat and the city of Kasif, planned to be built near Arad, east of the Negev, were rejected.
The construction of Kasif was halted after it was first approved, as the ultraorthodox did not want to live in such a distant and isolated place. The Government said Tilah is more viable than Kasif, as it is located near Beersheba and guarantees better access to public transport and employment.
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