The new city, to be situated in the northern area of the Negev desert given the name, "Tila," is expected to grow to a population of 80,000, and will include 15,000 housing units.

On Tuesday evening, Tila received approval from the National Building and Planning Council, in accordance with decisions made during the previous government's term.

Tila's approval comes two weeks after the first meeting of a council planning the construction of Kasif, a city which at one point was criticized by the haredi parties.

Interior Minister Moshe Arbel (Shas) said, "The announcement of a new town in the Land of Israel is a great merit and a special blessing for the citizens of Israel. I praise Shas chief Aryeh Deri for the fact that we are now meriting to implement the policy which he began together with the Construction and Housing Minister in the previous term, and advanced it now with even greater force together with Construction and Housing Minister Yitzchak Goldknopf, to be implemented in the current government."

Construction and Housing Minister Yitzchak Goldknopf (United Torah Judaism) said, "In addition to the great contribution in bringing down the cost of housing by increasing supply, we are also carrying out a historic correction, as part of the lessons we learned from the State Comptroller's report, which as recalled declared explicitly that the haredi population has been neglected when it comes to housing. 

Today, many young couples, some of them parents to young children, live against their will in housing units where the conditions are less than normal. The new cities targeted [to them] are an opportunity for them to have appropriate and affordable housing."

NEWSRAEL: A "silent revolution" is going on, unnoticed by the Leftist Israeli media which sees the ultra-orthodox as 'parasites', in which the government is doing all it can to integrate the Ultra-Orthodox community (and the Arab community also) into economic and social norms. These endeavors are falling on ready ears inside the younger generation. These will be those who will come to this new city.

Source: INN