KKL-JNF World Chairman Visits the South and Eilat: A Million New Inhabitants in the Arava
Kze Hamidbar
February 2, 2018
On Tuesday, January 16, KKL-JNF held two cornerstone laying ceremonies in the kibbutzim Elifaz and Lotem, which are part of the Eilot Region regional council. At the ceremonies, KKL-JNF noted the beginning of land development work in order to expand the communities and to build housing units for new families.
KKL-JNF began land development works in the kibbutzim Elifaz and Lotem that are part of the Eilot regional council. The event was marked at a cornerstone laying ceremony by KKL-JNF World Chairman Danny Atar together with the inhabitants of the kibbutzim and Dr. Hanan Ginat, the head of the council. KKL-JNF plans on developing land for 29 new housing units in both of the kibbutzim together for a total cost of over 1.5 million shekels.
“The purpose of KKL-JNF’s land preparations in these neighborhoods is first and foremost to help ease the direct costs of the residents themselves,” said Yossi Otmazgin, KKL-JNF
Negev Mountain and
Arava Implementation Unit Director. “Our work saves more that IS 60,000 per resident, who receive both a place to live along with the possibility of a livelihood by preparing the land for agriculture, which is carried out by us in cooperation with the Ministry of
Agriculture.”
KKL-JNF World Chairman Danny Atar spoke about KKL-JNF’s vision in his remarks: “The importance of this morning’s meeting is to express our commitment to the Arava. Today, we are dedicating new housing units, which is relatively a lot for the Arava at the present time, but along with KKL-JNF’s employees, I am working towards realizing our greater goal of bringing a million inhabitants to the Arava and the Negev.
“In order to achieve this goal, we are encouraging families from all over the world who immigrate to Israel to come to the south and the north. We are deeply committed to this process, and I hope to be invited to additional events like this. KKL-JNF will continue to stand by the side of the Arava, along with the Negev and
Galilee.”