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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, this morning, visited the Julis Local Council as a guest of the Druze community and attended a seminar on the integration and strengthening of the Druze sector in Israel. Seminar participants discussed the substantive problems that must be dealt with in the Druze and Circassian sector, including the absence of fair representation in public administration, local tax collection, housing among the youth and delays in approving and updating the communities' master plans.
Prime Minister Olmert noted that in recent years, the Government has made significant and specific decisions regarding the Druze and Circassian sector in an effort to bridge the gaps, improve the standard of living and properly integrate Druze and Circassians in the State of Israel's socio-economic life. Among these decisions, he cited the NIS 447 million multi-year plan to strengthen minority communities in the north, of which NIS 210 is the responsibility of the Prime Minister's Office. The plan focuses on education, employment and human capital development. Additionally, within the Government plan to strengthen the north, NIS 150 million has been allocated for the Druze and Circassian sector. A five-year, approximately NIS 5 billion plan was also approved to build 8,000 classrooms, with approximately 40% being devoted to the minorities sector.
Prime Minister Olmert said: "I have found it proper to cite these decisions out of the understanding that we are indeed taking action and that while we have gone a long way, it is apparently not enough and much remains to be done. The Interior Ministry team that has been appointed to deal with the chronic crisis of local councils in the minorities sector has formulated an arrangement on the issue of local tax collection. This is important since it realistically and seriously defines the local tax rate that is to be collected and requires that the rules be upheld. The team must consider recommendations on the rehabilitation of Druze and Circassian councils and will give a fair response to the long-standing claims of neglect regarding balancing grants and development."
On the issue of employment, Prime Minister Olmert discussed two main goals – advancing Druze and Circassian academics in the high-tech industry and the integration of Druze and Circassian civil servants. He said that, "The goal is that by the end of 2010, at least 10% of civil servants will be from the minorities sector, including Druze and Circassians."
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