The government gathered in the Golan Heights, farmers and environmental activists protested outside the compound
Ministers have approved a plan to encourage growth in the region, as well as a package of assistance to the tourism industry in the wake of the closing of the sky.
Around the compound, poultry owners and environmental activists protested against the egg import plan and the construction of wind turbines in the area.
Zandberg: "We had a dilemma, but we are here as part of our participation in the government"
Eli Ashkenazi and his Tal
26/12/2021
Sunday, 26 December 2021, 12:00 Updated: 16:06
Share on Facebook
Share on WhatsApp
Share on Twitter
Share on Email
Share on general
Comments
Comments
In the video: Meeting of the Cabinet meeting in the Golan Heights (Photo: Eli Ashkenazi)
The Israeli government convened this morning (Sunday) at Kibbutz Mevo Hama in the Golan Heights for its weekly meeting, and approved a plan to encourage growth in the area, as well as a package of assistance to the tourism industry in the wake of the closing of the sky and the spread of the Omikron variant.
This, while outside the place, environmental activists and poultry owners demonstrated for the construction of turbines in the area and the import of eggs to Israel.
The assistance package for the tourism industry, amounting to NIS 150 million, includes an allowance of NIS 25 million for guides and NIS 60 million for inbound tourism organizers - compensation promised to them in the summer and increased due to the damage from closing the sky due to the spread of the omicron.
The Ministry of Tourism estimates that the organizers of inbound tourism experienced a 80% drop in revenue as a result of the closing of the sky at the end of November.
More on Walla!
For the first time since the outbreak of the corona: ministers will be required to undergo an antigen test at the entrance to a cabinet meeting
To the full article
According to the proposal, the impact of imposing restrictions on inbound tourism, together with the results of previous restrictions on corona rounds in the last two years, is a "fatal blow to the inbound tourism organizers sector whose entire business is bringing tourists into Israel, and has already invested efforts and funds."
The decision-makers' proposal, brought by Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Tourism Minister Yoel Rezbozov, also authorizes the ministers to extend the compensation to the first quarter of 2022 if further restrictions are imposed.
The plan talks about doubling the population in the Golan, and an addition of 6,000 households - 3,000 for existing localities and 3,000 for two new localities: Asif and Matar.
It also includes a partial subsidy for the construction of hotels, the restoration of buildings and infrastructure, the implementation of a plan to attract residents to Katzrin for months, the addition of services and hours of operation at the emergency medical center in the city, and more.
Protest outside the cabinet meeting, today (Photo: Eli Ashkenazi)
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett welcomed the fact that both parts of the government support the plan to promote the Golan. "Government ministers from the right and left are sitting here together, it is exciting and indicates the Israeli consensus," he said. However, Minister Issawi Farage did not attend the meeting for ideological reasons. His party member, Minister Tamar Zandberg, also expressed ambivalence about the plan, mainly for environmental reasons, noting that she was involved in it due to Meretz's partnership in the government. "This is not something that has no meaning or political complexity, we support peace and will always support it, but we are here as part of our participation in government decisions. I will not tell you that we did not have a dilemma, I will not tell you it was not a debate within Meretz. In our platform we support peace "According to the Arab League initiative, this is something that is unfortunately not relevant at the moment," she said.
This time, for the first time, government ministers were asked to undergo a rapid corona examination before entering the yeshiva.
An MDA mobile was placed outside the compound, and the entry of the ministers and other guests to the meeting was allowed only subject to the presentation of a negative result in the inspection.
Out-of-session protest
Outside the compound, chicken owners and environmental activists demonstrated. The former in protest of the import of eggs to Israel, and the latter in protest of the construction of wind turbines in the area, which they claim could harm rare birds.
The chairman of the Israel Farmers' Association and the secretary general of the Moshavim movement, Amit Yifrach, attacked the government against these backgrounds. "The Israeli government is convening in the Golan Heights to launch a program to strengthen and double it, and on the other hand is eliminating agriculture in the Golan Heights through import reform - which will result in mass abandonment of areas and localities, most of which make a living from agriculture and support agriculture," Yifrach said. "This is called the Chelm government. Neither apples nor settlers. Today, in particular, we call on the prime minister, party leaders and ministers: stop, here and now, the tyranny of [Finance Minister Avigdor] Lieberman and immediately freeze the tariff reduction order."
Agriculture Minister Oded Forer has instructed to prepare for the opening of 100-70 million duty-free eggs immediately, in order to combat the expected shortage of eggs.
This is against the background of bird flu that continues to spread in the country, with snails close to Moshav Margaliot near Kiryat Shmona being forced to kill 320,000 chickens for fear of being infected, in addition to the 244,000 killed in the moshav earlier this week.
Upon receiving reports on the subject, the Ministry of Health isolated the infected chicken coops and stopped marketing the eggs, but the concern is about the possibility of infecting humans near the chicken coops.
news
Political-political
Tags
Corona virus
The Golan Heights
Eggs
agriculture
