Jeruham Council Head Clashes With KKL Chair Over Naming and Funding of Second Largest Israeli Lake Park
A dispute between Jeruham Council Head Nili Aharon and Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (KKL) Chair Eyal Ostrinsky escalated this week after police detained Aharon during a protest against Ostrinsky's visit to the nearby town of Omer. The conflict centers on the future of Lake Jeruham, Israel's second largest lake, named after Israel's fifth president, Yitzhak Navon, and planned to become an educational park emphasizing social cohesion.
Aharon opposes the decision made during her predecessor's term to name the park after Navon and accuses KKL of halting essential payments for the park's ongoing operations, including staff salaries. During the protest on Tuesday, police attempted to arrest Aharon on trespassing suspicions, leading to a physical altercation and her subsequent hospitalization at Soroka Medical Center, where she underwent a catheterization procedure. The complaint against her was later withdrawn by Omer's council head.
The naming decision was unanimously approved by Jeruham's naming committee in December 2022 and supported by KKL's board, which committed to investing up to 40 million shekels in the park's development. Approximately 20 million shekels have already been transferred to the council. However, Aharon claims KKL has stopped further payments, a claim KKL disputes, citing delays related to required land-use changes and pending approvals from the Israel Land Authority and the Knesset's Economics Committee.
The Navon family, represented by Yitzhak Navon's son, Erez, expressed concern that the park's name has become a political tool amid the dispute. Erez emphasized that the park's naming honors his father's legacy of social unity and education, particularly in the Negev region, and called for reconciliation between the parties.
KKL alleges that Aharon is attempting to alter the park's development plans at the last minute, which would require additional planning and funding. The ongoing conflict reflects broader tensions between Aharon and KKL, who she previously accused of political maneuvering and obstructing funding for the lake's development.
