Israeli municipality merger of 2003

The Israeli municipality merger of November 2003 was a merger of various select municipalities under the Israeli system of local governance.

History

In 2003, Interior minister Avraham Poraz proposed a merger of over 200 municipalities. The plan was later reduced to between 60 and 70 municipalities. Ultimately, only 11 mergers took place.[1] In 2008, two of the merged municipalities, Carmel City and Shaghur, were dissolved by the Knesset.[2][3] A similar proposal to dissolve Baqa-Jatt failed, but was later approved in 2010.[2][4]

The mergers were heavily criticized within the Arab and Druze sectors. The merger initially included a merger of five Druze councils, called City of Five, which included Abu Snan, Julis, Kafr Yasif, Yanuh-Jat and Yarka. The joint municipality elected a mayor in the 2003 municipal elections, but was dissolved by the Knesset after eight months in 2004.[5][6]

List of merged municipalities

References

  1. ^ Marmur, Dror (17 August 2014). ""אל תפתחו ציפיות: איחוד רשויות לא יקרה בישראל"". Globes (in Hebrew). Retrieved 7 October 2025.
  2. ^ a b Ilan, Shahar; Stern, Yoav (10 November 2008). "העיר שאגור פורקה; טיבי: שמחה מהולה בעצב". Haaretz (in Hebrew). Retrieved 7 October 2005.
  3. ^ Ilan, Shahar (4 November 2008). "לראשונה: הכנסת אישרה פירוק עיר בישראל". Haaretz (in Hebrew). Retrieved 7 October 2025.
  4. ^ "הצעת החוק ביטול איחוד המועצות המקומיות באקה אל גרבייה וג'ת אושרה במליאת הכנסת". Knesset (in Hebrew). 21 July 2010. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
  5. ^ Marciano, Ilan; Ravad, Ahiya (18 February 2004). "מפלה לקואליציה: הכנסת נגד איחוד רשויות דרוזיות". ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 7 October 2025.
  6. ^ As, Uri (9 February 2004). ""פעם ראשונה בתולדות הדרוזים שיש רעב ועוני"". Haaretz (in Hebrew). Retrieved 7 October 2025.