Northern District Committee Halts Major Expansion Plan for Jedida-Makr

The Northern District Planning and Building Committee has decided to suspend the advancement of a master plan intended to significantly expand the town of Jedida-Makr. The plan aimed to increase the town's area from 9,000 to nearly 12,000 dunams and boost its population from approximately 20,000 to about 120,000 residents.

The decision to halt the plan came after appeals from Minister of Settlement and National Missions Orit Strock and the "Lev BaGalil" organization. They argued that the proposed expansion was disproportionate to the town's actual growth rate, citing data from the Central Bureau of Statistics. According to 2022 data, Jedida-Makr's population grew by only 10% between 2008 and 2022, a rate lower than the national average.

Minister Strock stated in a letter that the plan represented "excessive planning and disproportionate to the Arab sector," asserting that while the sector deserves adequate living conditions, it does not require the appropriation of vast land areas without genuine need. She declared, "The era is over. The flood of transferring Galilee lands to Arab towns, through planning unjustified by demographics, must stop."

The "Lev BaGalil" organization echoed these concerns, calling the plan "disproportionate" and potentially irreversible for the Galilee's landscape. They welcomed the suspension for a broader discussion but stressed that the fight is not over, demanding phased implementation and oversight based on actual demographic growth.

The master plan is now scheduled for renewed discussion in an expanded forum of the District Committee after the upcoming Jewish holidays.