Cabinet Approves the NIS 185 Million First Part of a Five Year Plan for the
Development of Druze and Circassian Communities
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)

The Cabinet, at its weekly meeting today (Sunday, 14 December 2014),
approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposal for the first
allocation – approximately NIS 185 million – of a five-year plan for Druze
and Circassian communities in order to maintain operational continuity of
development plans for these communities and meet their immediate needs.
Noted in an annex to this decision is a multi-year plan, worth over NIS 2
billion, which was formulated before the onset of the election campaign, and
which is ready to be submitted for approval by the new government.

At the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Netanyahu said,
"Today, the Cabinet will also discuss a five-year plan to aid Druze and
Circassian communities. I recently met with Druze community leaders, led by
Sheikh Muwafaq Tarif. I told him that we would be submitting this plan. This
is a wide-ranging plan on infrastructures, employment, education and other
issues and it will do two things: One, it will reduce gaps between this
population and the population at large. Two, it will express appreciation
for the unique role of Druze and Circassian policemen and soldiers, who are
our very flesh, who fight and fall in defense of our people. I think that
this is one of the ways to express this appreciation."

Pursuant to last July's agreement between the Finance Ministry, the
Construction and Housing Ministry and the Israel Land Authority, the Cabinet
decided to approve an increase in subsidies for developing plots of land for
discharged soldiers from 75% of development costs to 90%.

The decision includes an allocation of NIS 9.5 million for operating
employment guidance centers and aiding small businesses, and NIS 5 million
for developing the tourist sector in Druze and Circassian communities, in
which approximately 700 B&B's are currently active. In construction, the
plan also includes completion of detailed master plans and the construction
of public institutions. In transportation, the plan includes a NIS 52
million investment in internal and inter-city roads and road safety. The
plan also includes NIS 45 million in additional increases in formal and
informal education, expanded social services, and an expansion of the
city-without-violence project.

Additional infrastructures that will be moved forward include road signs and
BOT projects for increased energy efficiency that will lead to savings for
local authorities and enable funds to be diverted to social welfare needs
and other items. The plan also includes the opening of Yad LeBanim branches
in Isfiya, Yarkha and Beit Jann.

The Druze and Circassian population numbers approximately 134,000. The
communities included in the plan are Abu Sinan, Beit Jann, Julis, Daliat
Al-Carmel, Hurfeish, Yanuah-Jat, Yarkha, Kisra-Samia, Kafr Kama, Majar,
Sajur, Ein Al-Assad, Isfiya, Peki'in, Rama and Reihaniye.

The plan is the first part of a much broader five-year plan formulated over
the past six months by Prime Minister's Office Director General Harel
Locker. The inter-ministerial plan includes projects by the Prime Minister's
Office as well as by the Finance, Education, Economy, Construction and
Housing, Transportation and Road Safety, National Infrastructures, Tourism,
Social Affairs and Social Services, Interior, Public Security, Health,
Agriculture, and Negev and Galilee Development ministries. On instruction
from Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein and due to the early elections, the
second part of the plan, for 2016-2019, will be submitted for approval by
the next government.