National Planning

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At the close of Mandatory rule, in May 1948, the Jewish population of the country was concentrated in the large towns of Jerusalem and Haifa, and to an even greater degree in Tel Aviv and its satellites (see map Fig. 9).

Jewish agriculture extended around a few dozen settlements, chiefly in the valleys, while the small towns were in state of gradual decline. This state of affairs was the outcome of the inadequate planning in which the Jewish population had been forced to acquisce thanks to political and economic conditions current under the Mandate.

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Fig. 12. Countrywide Water Plan

1. The Huleh Project: Draining the swamps and exploiting the water resources for irrigating the region;
2. The Kadesh Valley Project: Conducting of the Banias waters to the Valley of Kadesh, to Central Galilee and the northern part of Jezreel Valley;
3. The Yavniel Valley Project: Diverting the Upper Jordan waters to a reservoir in the Yavniel Valley for the Beisan and Jordan Valleys near Lake Kinneret.
4. Countrywide project: Diversion of the upper Galilee waters to the Negev. This water will be stored in a reservoir in the Beit Natufa Valley, to equalise the varying seasonal water supply. From there the water will be conducted along a canal running the entire length of the country, and tapping springs and streams on route;
5. The Yarkon Project: The waters of the Yarkon and drainage waters from the Dan district (Tel Aviv) will be pumped to the Negev in two directions: an eastern line conducting the Yarkon waters to the Negev, to Jerusalem and the corridor; and a western route mainly taking the purified drainage and sewage water from the Tel Aviv region together with the surplus from the River Yarkon.

Works in execution - blue line.
Projects under execution in the near future - broken blue line.
National irrigation project - dotted blue line.
Regional water supply - two blue arrows.
Reservoir - blue patch with horizontal lines.
Mediterranean-Kinneret Canal (Future electrical power project) - broken brown line.