If you could describe the Negev in three words, what would they be?

1.Community: It’s very different from living in any other city, because there is something different about the people here.

2.Quality of life: This area offers you something very different from other places. People move down here to get out of the ‘rat race,’ to spend time with their children.

3.Desert: We love living and hiking in the desert. The Negev gives you the opportunity to get away, and whoever comes here falls in love with the sunsets and never wants to go.

What about living in the Negev has had the biggest impact on you?

M: I have lived my entire life in the Negev. There is no other place like the Negev and no other place that is home. There is something very magical about the Negev.

I: I grew up in big cities. Everything is different when you’re in a small community. The desert is so wide open that you forget you’re in such a small country. It has made me who I am today. Everything is different when you’re in a  small community. You’re out in nature, hiking 2, 3 times a week. My main hobby is hiking and tracking. In that sense the Negev has impacted me very deeply, being outside in the wild and the outdoors. We knew from the start the Negev was for us. The Negev was the only possibility.

What does the future of the Negev look like? 

The future is in combining rural and urban, desert and modern. We need to attract people in big cities from all over Israel, all different types of people, so that they come live here. The Negev is becoming more independent because here we have access to some of the most advanced technology, but we’re also always so close to the outdoors.

What are the region’s biggest needs?

M: Infrastructure— enabling better transportation possibilities for people is important.

I: For the Negev to thrive, there need to be jobs and local business development. Also, there needs to be affordable housing.

What is something you would say to someone who is curious about the Negev?

Come visit!