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Eastern Galilee Cluster
The Eastern Galilee Regional Cluster is a regional collaboration between 18 local authorities from the eastern Galilee and the Golan, working to strengthen the region through planning, development, and implementation of joint regional initiatives.
The cluster serves as the executive arm of the Forum of Mayors of the Eastern Galilee and Golan, and operates as a coordinating body with government ministries and national agencies.
Officially established in 2013 as part of the National Clusters Initiative of the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Finance, the cluster’s mission is to unite forces, streamline processes, and leverage collective strengths for the benefit of all residents.
It brings together Jewish, Druze, Muslim, Christian, and Circassian municipalities, building bridges between diverse communities that share common challenges and a shared vision for the future.
Main Activity
Vision, Goals, and Objectives
Our vision is to create a strong, connected, and developed Eastern Galilee and Golan, through regional cooperation aimed at continuously improving the quality of life for all residents and strengthening regional resilience.
Goals:
To expand the range of opportunities for the cluster’s municipalities and the entire region by promoting a regional mindset and strategic collaborations that leverage economies of scale, improve efficiency, and support the development of both existing and new services.
Objectives:
To advance and develop regional growth engines, pool resources to maximize impact, and enhance services while reducing disparities.
Background and History
The idea to establish the cluster was first conceived in 2006, following the Second Lebanon War, when local leaders realized that effective responses to the region’s security, social, and economic challenges required joint and coordinated action.
The cluster operates across multiple fields to drive systemic change, strengthen regional resilience, and improve the quality of life for more than 207,000 residents living in an area of approximately 2,000 square kilometers.
This fruitful collaboration has led to numerous achievements in culture, tourism, economic development, infrastructure, security, and environmental protection, among them the establishment of the Faculty of Medicine in Safed (2009).
The cluster’s first chairperson, Eli Malka, Head of the Golan Regional Council, served from 2013–2018, and Benny Ben-Mubhar, Head of the Mevo’ot HaHermon Regional Council, has held the position since 2018.
Joint Projects:
- Galileist Leadership Program – Beyahad Foundation, Tel-Hai College, Eastern Galilee Cluster
- The Business Hub – Kiryat Shmona and Eastern Galilee – Beyahad Foundation, the Cluster, Kiryat Shmona Municipality, Rashi Foundation
