.In a ceremony headed by Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Defense Ministry Director General Maj. Gen. (res.) Amir Baram, Israel Lands Authority Deputy Director Idan Mualem, and other senior officials, the 'Shoham 4' agreement was signed today (Thursday) for the evacuation and relocation of 11 IDF camps located in areas of high demand.
This is part of the national effort promoted in recent years to move IDF camps from areas of demand to areas of national priority - for the benefit of civilian and economic development.
The agreement was signed by the Director General of the Ministry of Defense, the Deputy Director General of the Israel Land Authority, the person in charge of budgets at the Ministry of Finance, and the Deputy Accountant General.
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The camps will be evacuated and relocated as part of the agreement:
The total area of the camps to be relocated covers approximately 2,300 dunams, and is expected to be used for the construction of approximately 19,000 residential units, approximately 1 million square meters of employment and commercial space, and approximately 1,000 hotel rooms.
It was also agreed that the Ministry of Defense and the IDF will establish a joint directorate that will advance a process to examine the feasibility of relocating the Kirya camp from Tel Aviv.
The move is expected to be gradually rolled out over a decade, and in addition to its benefits to the public and security, it is also expected to significantly improve the conditions of those serving in the new camps, with an emphasis on the combat operational edge at Givati Air Base and Nahal Air Base, which will absorb some of the shared bases.
Defense Minister Israel Katz: "The 'Shoham 4' agreement is a strategic move that connects security and national resilience. We are freeing up land in the heart of demand areas and driving a tremendous momentum of construction, employment and development - a move that will create jobs, strengthen the economy and be a significant growth engine for years to come.".
""At the same time, relocating the camps will contribute to strengthening the periphery and deepening the national presence in areas that need it. Alongside civilian development, we are establishing new and advanced infrastructure for the IDF that will strengthen operational readiness and improve the conditions of those serving. This is a step that strengthens the IDF, strengthens the economy, and strengthens the entire State of Israel.".
He added, "We will also begin examining the economic and other aspects of transferring the Kirya base, which will be relocated from here. I thank Prime Minister Netanyahu for his support, Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Haim Katz for their cooperation, and the members of the defense establishment for their efforts in formulating the agreement.".
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich: "The 'Shoham 4' agreement is a strategic move that connects security needs with the needs of the citizens - evacuating camps, establishing new and advanced bases for the IDF, and releasing land for tens of thousands of housing units, employment and commercial areas.".
""This is a Zionist move that creates significant growth engines for the Negev and the Galilee, strengthens settlement, brings a strong population to national priority areas, and contributes to the Judaization of the Negev and the Galilee as part of a long-term national vision. I thank my friend Defense Minister Yisrael Katz for his cooperation and the people of the Ministry of Finance for their hard work.".
