While US President Donald Trump is presenting his vision for Jerusalem, while stating that Israeli government offices are in Jerusalem, the actual situation is much different. The National Quarter (Kiryat HaLeom), located between Yitzhak Rabin Boulevard and Wolfson Boulevard and beyond, has developed in recent years, but the Israeli government, with all of its departments, is not there. Between the beautiful new buildings of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the State Comptroller's Office are the Ministry of Finance and the Prime Minister's Office. The brain is in Jerusalem, but the heart of the government ministries and the other government ministries are dispersed mainly in Tel Aviv.
The government made a decision on transferring units, sections, and parts of government ministries to Jerusalem in 2007. 10 years have passed since then, and little has changed. Ministries that have applied for an exemption from moving to Jerusalem include the Ministry for Development of the Negev and the Galilee, which is located in Tel Aviv, management of the Ministry of Education, entire sections of the Ministry of Justice, and management offices in the Ministries of Transport, Internal Security, and Culture and Sport.
The original decision stipulated that the transfer of government ministries would be completed by May 2015. This deadline has passed, and the Israeli government has granted itself an extension to 2019.
A number of government agencies have received an exemption in the past: the Ministry of Defense, certain units in the Prime Minister's Office, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage, headed by MK Zeev Elkin (Likud), has been entrusted to overseeing the process of moving ministries to Jerusalem. Elkin told the Knesset Internal Affairs and Environment Committee last July that of 140 government units, "Nine have moved so far, and 37 units are in the process of moving." Elkin said that by May 2019, 28 government units would be moved, and the process would be completed in 2025. He added, "40 units have asked the exceptions committee for exemptions. 20 units were refused."
Published by Globes [online], Israel Business News - www.globes-online.com - on December 10, 2017
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2017