Launching the North: Immediate plan approved including the establishment of a university in Kiryat Shmona, economic and demographic acceleration, and a grant for use in businesses in the city.
Under the direction of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and led by Ministers Smotrich, Elkin, and Wasserlauf, the government approved an immediate and complementary plan for the rehabilitation and demographic growth of the border communities – Kiryat Shmona, Shlomi, and Metula.
The plan is designed to ensure immediate assistance to local authorities and for the benefit of residents and businesses in the urban area, as a first step to strengthen the region and establish long-term economic and demographic growth engines. Concurrently, work has begun on a strategic and broad plan for the rehabilitation and growth of the entire region.
The main points of the plan include:
Assistance to local businesses and a grant for residents: Providing a grant (via a digital wallet) for use in local businesses in the area and as a supportive measure for the regional economy.
Demographic growth and housing: Dedicated budgets to strengthen the young population, branding the area as an attractive residential destination, and renovating buildings for leisure and community purposes.
Economic acceleration: Establishing dedicated tracks for subsidizing salaries for employees in high-tech and advanced industry, and grants for development expenses in industrial zones in the border communities.
Health and transportation: Establishing a medical emergency center and a specialist clinic in Kiryat Shmona, and examining the feasibility of operating and subsidizing regular flights from the Kiryat Shmona airstrip to central Israel.
University city: A plan to connect the city of Kiryat Shmona to Tel-Hai College, including the relocation of academic buildings into the city and the creation of an urban student experience.
The plan will be accompanied by a team of directors-general led by the Acting Director-General of the Prime Minister’s Office and with the participation of the Director-General of the Ministry of Finance, the Director-General of the Ministry of the Negev and Galilee, and the head of the Momentum for the North Administration to remove barriers and ensure rapid implementation on the ground.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
“Kiryat Shmona is the cornerstone of the finger of the Galilee. We are bringing an immediate plan for the rehabilitation, development, and growth of Kiryat Shmona, Shlomi, and Metula.
This will be reflected in the distribution of grants to businesses and residents, and the allocation of greater resources for housing, industry, medicine, transportation, and academia – and this is just the first stage.
The government is not only committed to the development of the North, but also to ensuring the security of the residents. There is no containment, no leniency, we are acting against every threat in real-time and on an ongoing basis – and so we will continue to do.”
Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich:
“We committed that Kiryat Shmona, Shlomi, and Metula will not be left behind – and we are fulfilling it. Our leadership is tested by its ability to turn a challenge into a historic opportunity. Two weeks ago, I went up with the entire management of the Ministry of Finance to Kiryat Shmona to streamline and refine the decision. We are investing hundreds of millions of shekels not only in rehabilitation, but in a leap forward. I thank Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his full backing and leadership, and my fellow ministers for the decision. Our message to the residents of the North is clear: we are with you to build a strong, prosperous, and secure future here for generations to come.”
Minister in the Ministry of Finance responsible for the rehabilitation of the North and the South, Ze’ev Elkin:
“The establishment of the Kiryat Shmona University in the Galilee is not just an educational move, but a declaration for the future of the entire North. The university is a growth engine that will change the face of the region, strengthen the local economy, attract young people, researchers, and entrepreneurs, and connect knowledge, industry, and community. We are building a national anchor here that will create opportunities for the next generation and turn Kiryat Shmona into the capital of excellence, innovation, and hope of the North.”
Minister of the Negev, Galilee and National Resilience Yitzhak Wasserlauf:
“I thank Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and my colleagues Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Minister Ze’ev Elkin for their partnership and commitment to the North. Kiryat Shmona, Shlomi, and Metula are the heart of the Galilee, and we will work hard to see them flourish again. In the Otzma Yehudit faction meeting in Kiryat Shmona, Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir instructed to act to hold a government meeting in the city, and I thank him for his support along the way. I am proud of the professional staff in the Ministry of the Negev and Galilee and in the other ministries who worked hard and succeeded in leading the important government decision we passed today. We will continue to stand by the residents and businesses until a full return to growth, security, and stability.”