The struggle for the construction of an airport in the Jezreel Valley is gaining momentum:
The planning director continues to work to build a second-largest airport to Ben-Gurion, in the Ramat David area - on the other hand, the valley has been struggling for years to build the airport In sprouts.
But now it turns out that the heads of the authorities in the north support the move, and try to promote the construction of the field in the Jezreel Valley, contrary to the opinion of the Jezreel Valley Regional Council and the heads of the authorities in the south who want the airport built in their area.
The struggle returned to the headlines after it became clear three weeks ago that the planning directorate was continuing to plan the construction of the field in the north, contrary to the decision of the government ministers.
"Only an airport can save the north"
The Mayor of Afula, Avi Alkabetz, the Mayor of Nof Hagalil, Ronen Plot, the Mayor of Migdal HaEmek Eli Barda, the Mayor of Yokneam Shimon Alfasi and the Mayor of Beit She'an, Jackie Levy, issued a dramatic statement of support this morning (Sunday) for the construction of the airport in the valley - The only alternative at stake in the Galilee region.
The mayors explained that the construction of the second airport in Israel after Ben Gurion Airport will strengthen all the northern settlements and will be an economic anchor that creates change: "An international airport is a mega-project that the north needs like breathing air.
Its establishment requires peripheral infrastructure that will strengthen the entire area such as public transportation routes, industrial areas and hotels. The field will provide thousands of jobs and will be a huge economic engine for suppliers and businesses that will provide diverse services: food, security, transportation, computing and more.
The construction of the port in the valley will leverage the entire area and motivate young couples and families from the center to settle in the Galilee. "
Yokneam Mayor Shimon Alfasi, who has supported the construction of the field in the valley all these years, said he hopes that the sweeping support does not come too late.
"I cried all these years that only the field could save the Galilee but I was alone and no one listened to me. After all, it is not possible for the mayors of the south to fight for the establishment of the field in their territory and in the north to give up in advance."
The mayor of Nof Hagalil, Ronen Plot, said that "an international airport is a national project and a decision on the issue should be made from a comprehensive and not local systemic perspective."
Migdal Haemek Mayor Eli Barda, who chairs the Galilee Development Authority and the Galilee Valleys Cluster, said that "resources must be invested in creating open cranes and significant growth engines such as an airport, university, factories, transportation and infrastructure that will strengthen and leverage the Galilee region one hour earlier. "
The mayor of Afula, Avi Alkabetz, said that the establishment of the field in Ramat David would make the periphery the center: "The field will not harm Afula but on the contrary, it will bring employment and prosperity to the city and the entire area."
The mayor of Beit She'an, Jackie Levy: "The future of the region and the entire north depends on the international airport, which will create serious development, jobs, economic development and the connection of the north to the whole world."
Authorities said they were not afraid of harming the quality of life as a result of the construction of the port, but rather the opposite: "All over the world the most powerful cities are close to the airport and the quality of life is maintained.
It should be noted that the heads of other authorities in the north, including Kiryat Shmona, Acre, Safed, Nahariya and Maalot, support the establishment of the field in the Galilee.
The heads of regional councils in the area also believe that the north will only benefit from the construction of the field, but for reasons of solidarity with the councils that oppose the construction of the field, especially the Jezreel Valley, they preferred not to sign the letter of support.
"The field may bring some benefits, but the damage it will cause is thousands of times greater."
In the joint forum of the northern and southern authorities, in which Eyal Betzer, head of the Emek Yizrael Regional Council, Ido Greenblum, head of the Kiryat Tivon local council, Ofer Ben Eliezer, head of the Ramat Yishai local council, and Itzik Kholovsky, head of the Megiddo regional council, and dozens of authorities To Haifa.
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"We welcome the call of the heads of the authorities in the north to establish an airport in the Galilee, and we gladly invite them to promote with us the best solution for the Galilee - the establishment of a regional regional airport in Haifa, whose negative effects are negligible compared to all the benefits our colleagues talk about.
"It is unfortunate that the heads of our neighboring authorities do not listen to the variety of professionals and opinions that point to the enormous damage expected to the Jezreel Valley and its residents, if God forbid a large international airport is built here. The field may bring some benefits,
"Afula, Nof Hagalil, Yokneam Illit and Migdal Haemek will be severely affected by the damage from noise and traffic jams and in general - the valley's transformation into concrete and cement. We offer everyone to see what is happening around Ben Gurion Airport today .
"Mayors do not represent the residents - who fear for their health"
After the announcement of the mayors from the north on their support for the construction of an airport in Ramat David - at the residents' headquarters against the construction of the airport, they said that "this is a knife in the back of the settlement in the valley.
"These are mayors who prefer another handful of property tax payments over the health of their residents. They are simply sacrificing the cities to aircraft noise and the lives of their residents will not be different from those living around Ben Gurion Airport.
"Unfortunately, the mayors do not represent their residents who want to protect their health and quality of life from an airport that will destroy the Jezreel Valley. We have no doubt that the residents of the big cities will pay a heavy price if a field is established in the valley Next year, because this is in complete contradiction to the interest of the residents. "
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