The Changing Structure of Rural Areas in Israel / תמורות מבניות ומוסדיות במרחב הכפרי בישראל

• Published in: אופקים בגיאוגרפיה 1998-01 (48/49), p.9-24
• Main Authors: אפלבום, לביאה, Applebaum, Levia
• Format: Article
• Language: Hebrew
• ISSN: 0334-3774

In the last decade the rural areas of Israel have been rapidly losing their historical image as agricultural landscapes occupied by cooperative farming villages. The changing settlement structure, economic base and social composition, and the infiltration of new, more urban, land uses are creating a diversified rural space, less distinct and with stronger ties to nearby urban areas. These developments may be attributed to long-term trends common to many Western countries, such as the decline of agricultural employment and suburbanization of the countryside. However, no less important is the impact of the recent dramatic reversal of government policy, expressed in the relaxation of agricultural land protection and reduced financial support to cooperative rural communities. In view of these changes the future role of rural areas in national development has become a subject of debate among politicians and professionals. At the one end are those convinced that rural areas will ultimately lose their distinction and merge into the urban system. At the other end are those who believe that rural lands should be protected from intensive urban development and retained as green and open spaces. The government on its part has not yet put forward a clear-cut and integrated new rural policy to replace its previous one. As a result, rural space is currently being shaped by incremental uncoordinated actions of various public and private interest groups, without integration and evaluation of their possible future impact.