City of Dimona (& Arad) on Strike: It's NOT ALL IN Tel Aviv
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| Protesters over layoffs at Israel Chemicals, sign: Idan Ofer destroys Israel's Industry: Calcalist, Arad Israel, 17-Apr-2015 |
In their enthusiasm for life, growth and certainly search for a better economic opportunity, Tel Avivians sometimes ignore the rest of Israel. We call this phenomena "the Tel Aviv bubble" - as if we are living in our own independent bubble. This essentially sarcastic (and humiliating) barb is not new. For years, the "periphery" of the state has been complaining of neglect. But this time it's directed at mostly non-government employers.
Although not exactly related to Tel Aviv's residents, Israelis are still concerned over economic imbalance. The gap between different regions is a problem. All along Israel's history, the attraction to the big cities was a concern. When Ben-Gurion served as the prime minister in the 1950s, the government started investment in the south (from Beer Sheva to Eilat). Along the coastal areas in the south (Ashdod & Ashkelon) development has picked up recently. But this is not the case in the rest of the south where development is slowly going forward. High home prices in central Israel helped the coastal cities. Also some immigration from France and the UK due to unrest and fears of Jews from Muslim communities there (this is somewhat a controversial issue which most traditional Israeli media does not highlight) helped Ashdod & Ashkelon. The unrest is not just a one time event. Keep an eye on these issues and let's see how it develops.
Although not exactly related to Tel Aviv's residents, Israelis are still concerned over economic imbalance. The gap between different regions is a problem. All along Israel's history, the attraction to the big cities was a concern. When Ben-Gurion served as the prime minister in the 1950s, the government started investment in the south (from Beer Sheva to Eilat). Along the coastal areas in the south (Ashdod & Ashkelon) development has picked up recently. But this is not the case in the rest of the south where development is slowly going forward. High home prices in central Israel helped the coastal cities. Also some immigration from France and the UK due to unrest and fears of Jews from Muslim communities there (this is somewhat a controversial issue which most traditional Israeli media does not highlight) helped Ashdod & Ashkelon. The unrest is not just a one time event. Keep an eye on these issues and let's see how it develops.
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