Caesarea Or Akiva

I suppose that that all residents of Caesarea and of Or Akiva heard the resounding news that will reverberate for a long time to come. The arguments brought forth by MK Gabai (see Press Release) that: "The state of Israel can not allow itself to support only the strong population and has to act in order to narrow the gaps currently existing between various populations. ... The situation, where certain populations segregate themselves from the rest, is unacceptable. The situation - in which particular communities exist solely on the basis of social - economic background of their population and close their doors to those who do not belong to their social strata - is unacceptable."

Those who thought that socialism had passed from the world will find this decision somewhat totalitarian, precisely because of the aforesaid arguments. It is difficult to find a common denominator between these two communities, except for their geographic proximity. Or Akiva is a town, while Caesarea is a community managed by the Company for the Development of Caesarea - the only community in the country that is managed in this way. Is there no place for one single community of this kind, in Israel? Did the residents of Caesarea have asked for this type of organization? Do the results - showing an organized flourishing community, developing and sought after, with an industrial park on the international level - justify its annexation to the city of Or Akiva.

Both of these very different communities came into being at the beginning of 1950's. 4 families, transferred to the dunes of Caesarea in 1951 from the Brandess camp near Hadera and another 38 families that joined them a few days later - became the dasis of what was them "Hof Hacarmel Camp" and later the " Caesarea Camp". In 1953 the name of the settlement was changed to Or Akiva. The Company for the Development of Caesarea was created in 1952 by the Rothschild's. From then on each community has developed in its own distinctive way and attracted different populations. The average income in Or Akiva, that absorbed many waves of new immigrants, is lower then the average wage in the country. In Caesarea, for which there are no official statistics since it is not a township, the estimation is that the average income is three times the national average.

So what now? Will Or Akiva grow stronger, or will Caesarea grow weaker? According to MK Gabai, the examination of unifications carried out in other places in the world have proved that - usually the level of services in the unified entity rises to the level of the stronger settlement, hence the overall level of services improves. But according to the major of Or Akiva, Mr. Yusupov, he sees himself as the head of the absorbing entity, meaning - Or Akiva adsorbs Caesarea and not visa - versa. Despite the statements of the major, to the effect that many residents of Caesarea welcome the unification, the reactions on the street were rather polarized. Cheerfulness in Or Akiva and disappointment in Caesarea. The decision of the ministerial committee requires the approval of the Knesset and it is expected to approve it, in the first reading, this week. If the decision will be approved by the Knesset the curtain will fall on Caesarea, one of the more successful examples of the Jewish settlement in Israel, or may be a new chapter will begin in the life of the newly unified town. In any case, even if the new entity will come out of the unification stronger - Caesarea will never be the same again.

A version of this article by Yoav Etiel appeared in Magazine Hamoshavot

Yoav Etiel is a Partner at BarEl Properties Group

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