ByKESHET NEEVJUNE 11, 2026 19:40The government approved on Thursday approximately NIS 4 billion to develop communities in northern Israel, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that the country would restore security to the area, which has been under ongoing threat from Hezbollah.The decision comes as local northern authority leaders have sharply criticized the government for failing to provide adequate support and aid to residents amid the ongoing security threat.Netanyahu announced the plan’s approval at the government meeting that was held in the northern city of Nof HaGalil.During his remarks at the meeting, Netanyahu said that Israel was “striking Hezbollah, eliminating hundreds of terrorists every week.”Netanyahu noted that there were still additional challenges the country was dealing with.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu walks outside his office at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, June 3, 2026. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)“A particular challenge is drones. We are working on that,” he said.He vowed that the government would restore security to the North, “just as we did the South.”Government plans to develop northern IsraelThe government’s approved plan will focus primarily on the cities of Safed, Acre, Nof HaGalil, Nazareth, Afula, Tiberias, and Karmiel. The plan spans the years 2026-2030.The stated goal of the plan was to provide residents of the Galilee with a comprehensive framework of services and incentives aimed at attracting new residents.The measures are said to focus on education, healthcare, personal security, and the development of resilience centers to strengthen the communities and “transform them into regional hubs serving northern Israel as a whole.”The plan includes developing housing and economic incentives in the area. It is also said to be focused on creating employment opportunities in jobs relating to hi-tech.Other sections of the plan focus on developing tourism and transportation in the area.Following the approval, Netanyahu said, "Through a joint effort, we are bringing a massive package to the core cities."“We are giving them a major boost and significant additional resources that will provide momentum and development. This is our vision. Everyone understands that this is a sacred national mission, a top national priority,” Netanyahu said.“I love the Galilee. It is an integral part of our homeland, which we must preserve and develop. We will restore security to the North and enable it to prosper more than ever before,” he added.Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said following the approval of the plan that “we are not merely rebuilding the North; we are constructing a new and promising future for it.”“The enormous investment of approximately NIS 21 billion that we are leading together is intended to transform the Galilee into a national growth engine, with high-quality employment opportunities, advanced public services, and infrastructure that will attract new families to settle, grow, and thrive here,” he added.Last week, the government approved a separate plan for aid to communities on the northern border that totaled approximately NIS 18 billion. The Prime Minister’s Office stated that government decisions for the North amounted to approximately NIS 22 billion.Northern authorities point out government neglectLocal northern authority heads have spoken about government neglect and criticized the moves.Kiryat Shmona Mayor Avichai Stern last week sharply criticized the plans being advanced by the government, explaining that the northern border communities were in urgent need of aid now and that broad plans were not enough to help.He argued that while long-term projects were important, “you cannot build tomorrow while our present is falling apart.”Stern said that the government had made many promises that the northern city has not yet seen the results of.“We received promises for buildings and roads that will only be felt in a few years, while businesses are collapsing now, and our children are suffering from war trauma in real time.”Stern added that there has been no response to residents’ financial needs.“We did not receive immediate significant tax relief, no full exemption from municipal taxes, as was given in the South, or immediate budgets for protection and education,” he stated.“Distributing resources across the 0-9 km range without absolute and exclusive prioritization of the communities on the border removes the incentive for families and factories to specifically come to Kiryat Shmona,” he noted.“The 2030 vision is excellent, but the patient is bleeding on the operating table right now. Give us the tools to fight for our home today, so that we will have a home to return to tomorrow,” he said.Last week, the Knesset approved tax benefits for settlements in the West Bank. While northern border communities were temporarily added to the proposal, they were subsequently removed, which led to sharp criticism from opposition lawmakers.Communities along the northern border were already severely affected following the October 7 massacre and throughout the ensuing Israel-Hamas War.During that period, hundreds of thousands of residents were forced to leave their homes as the area came under sustained rocket fire. The area had not recovered from that earlier damage when Operation Roaring Lion began in February.Follow us on Google