Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Transportation Minister Miri Regev and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich present the One Israel plan on Sunday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "As soon as I was able to do so, I wanted to carry out the transportation revolution. This will also improve the economy and other areas. In order to carry out the transportation revolution, we had to invest an additional sum of NIS 30 million. Now, we want to realize the vision and build a high-speed train of 250 kilometers per hour that will connect Kiryat Shmona to Eilat. Of course, we will also establish connection axes.
"This revolution will allow Israeli citizens to get out of traffic jams, because the solution is to transport people at high speed from place to place that will allow them to be a worthy alternative to private vehicles."
"There are many areas in the Negev and Galilee and we must make these areas accessible. We are connecting Israel into one piece. This revolution is underway with a budget of NIS 110 million. Anyone who did not believe at the time that we would turn Israel into a high-tech economy and remove the gas from the ground sees that we succeeded. Now I say, believe in what we are doing today – all of Israel will be connected and this is great news."
Transportation Minister Miri Regev said: "Do you understand the significance of high-speed rail throughout the country? A person who lives in Kiryat Shmona can work in Tel Aviv, and a person who lives in Tel Aviv can work in Dimona. Distance will no longer matter."
Regev added: "I am happy to update that tomorrow the Railway Board will discuss adding carriages that will ease the load on the train. Many more and more people will be able to travel by train."
The minister added: "By means of a rail connection along and across the length and breadth of the State of Israel, it will be good for the economy. At first, it seems heavy on the treasury and the budget, in addition to security, welfare and education, but the State of Israel has succeeded in doing tremendous things and I want to say to my friends in the treasury: I know that it seems difficult and they ask where we will get the money. But in the end, it's money that goes back to the State of Israel. A good transportation solution will cause people to give up traveling by private car."
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