Improper Use of the Public Transportation Budget Intended for Wadi Ara
- ACRI
- May 18
- 2 min read
The Wadi Ara region is home to over 120,000 Arab residents in 15 communities. Route 65 serves as a central transportation artery, connecting the communities and enabling access to work, health services, and institutions of higher education. Because nearly everyone needs to access the highway, it suffers from persistent traffic jams and major congestion, and there is no efficient public transportation. Additionally, Route 65 in the Wadi Ara area is known as one of the most dangerous sections in Israel because of the high rate of accidents that occur there.
Section 17(d)(3) in the government's five-year plan for reducing social and economic gaps between Jewish and Arab society allocates a budget of 557 million NIS for the establishment of a public transportation system along Route 65 crossing Wadi Ara. However, a response to a freedom of information request sent by the organization Sikkuy-Aufoq revealed that at least 20% of the budget was used for other projects on Route 65, mainly to benefit the Israeli city of Hadera, and not for Wadi Ara.
On May 18, 2025 ACRI contacted the CEO of Netivei Israel (the National Roads Company of Israel) and the CEO of the Ministry of Transportation on behalf of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel and the National Committee of Heads of Arab Local Authorities, demanding the return of all budgets allocated to Hadera so that they can be used for their original purpose to establish a mass transit system along Route 65 crossing Wadi Ara. Attorney Gadeer Nicola argued in the appeal that the conduct of the Ministry of Transportation and Netivei Israel constitutes a blatant abuse of authority and lack of reasonableness. We argued that diverting the budget allocated for Wadi Ara violates the basic right of Wadi Ara residents to equality, since instead of reducing gaps, it increases them. Moreover, beyond the direct harm to equality, the lack of accessible public transportation violates other rights, such as the right to access to work, health services, educational institutions, and other public services.
ACRI's appeal, May 18, 2025 (Heb)
The appeal was written with the assistance of intern Yotam Rothfeld
