The Knesset approved in preliminary reading the construction of a new airport in the Negev

Knesset members approved in preliminary reading a bill providing for the construction of an auxiliary airport in the Nevatim region of the Negev.

From the point of view of economists, the construction of an additional airport in the north of the country, near the Ramat David Air Force base in the Jezreel Valley, will bring significantly more benefits to the state, both in terms of improving employment and in terms of population coverage. The Ministry of Defense also supported this option until mid-2022, when Benny Gantz opposed it.

Valley residents are strongly opposed, arguing that the airport would cause irreparable damage to the quality of life in the valley. At the same time, recently a coalition of heads of municipalities of northern cities, such as Nof HaGalil, Afula, Tiberias, Beit Shean, Krayot, has been forming, supporting the option of building an airport in Ramat David.

All southern options for constructing an airport are significantly inferior to the northern one, both due to their proximity to the Gaza Strip and due to the fact that they will share common airspace with Ben Gurion Airport. However, the heads of municipalities in the south are actively lobbying for this option.