Stanley Fischer: “The Negev’s Main Advantage – Quality of Life at a Reasonable Price”

The Governor of the Bank of Israel came to tour the Negev together with the Supervisor of Banks, Rony Hizkiyahu. "There is work in the Negev, people just need to come", said Ofir Fisher, Vice President for Development, OR Movement, for settling the Negev and Galilee, told them, when asked about employment in the region.

"The Negev's main advantages are the possibilities that come from living in the region - a high quality of life at a reasonable price," so said the Governor of the Bank of Israel, Stanley Fischer, during a tour he conducted in the Negev in July, together with the Supervisor of the Banks, Rony Hizkiyahu. "The localities developing rapidly in the USA are specifically in the South, due to quality of life and attractive housing prices. The moment they invented air-conditioning, everyone understood that the South is a place worth living in," he said.

As part of the tour, the Governor and Supervisor of Banks visited the OR Movement's "Gateway to the Negev" Information Center in Be'er Sheva's Old City, and the communities of Givot Bar and Meitar. Fischer and Hizkiyahu were surprised to discover that most of the residents of the new Negev communities come from Central Israel, and decided to make their homes in the South.

The real problem: a negative image

"The Negev is safe, attractive, and much closer to Central Israel than what many people think," said OR Movement's CEO, Roni Flamer. "The Negev has a stigma of a place hit by crime - but actually, the crime rate here is significantly lower than that of Tel Aviv. People think there isn't anywhere to go for entertainment in the Negev, but the reality is different - Be'er Sheva is a University City with many restaurants, cafes, pubs and clubs. The most intrinsic problem is the negative image enveloping the Negev."

When the OR Movement's representatives were asked about employment in the South, the Movement's Vice President for development, Ofir Fisher, answered, "there is work in the Negev, people just need to come".

As part of the tour in the Negev communities, accompanied by Adv. Tida Shamir and Eddy Azoulay from the Bank of Israel, OR Movement board members Alon Badihi and Erez Meltzer, and representatives of the Bnei Shimon and Metar Regional Councils, Stanley Fischer, the Governor of the Bank of Israel noted that the size of the land plots allotted for living in Negev communities - around 1/8 acre - is still not attractive enough, and the size should be increased to draw more residents.