JERUSALEM, March 7 (Xinhua) -- An Israeli-Arab lobbying group led a Knesset parliament discussion this week on the socioeconomic status of the country's million and a half Arab residents, who make up more than 20 percent of the population.

The Haifa-based Mossawa advocacy group presented it's comprehensive findings at a ministerial-level conference organized by lawmaker Talab al-Sana of the United Arab List-Ta'al, who sits on the Knesset Finance Committee.

The group's study showed that while the government's four- billion-shekel (about one billion U.S. dollars) development funding rose from five percent to 6.25 percent in the first three months of 2012, the sum was inadequate for the community's needs, and to correct inequalities in comparison with the county's Jewish population.

Karin Aborya, an economist with Mossawa, told Xinhua on Wednesday that the problem was "chiefly one of skewed criteria in doling out funding for development projects," and "a lack of raising awareness of the economic plight of Arab towns and villages."

While the government plans to distribute some four billion shekels to Arab communities over the next four years, Mossawa believes that one billion shekels (0.26 billion dollars) set aside as grants for Arab municipalities still leave some three dozen communities out in the cold.

"Out of the Ministry of Education's 359-million-shekel (93- million-dollar) budget, only 89 million shekels (23 million dollars) is going to the Arab sector, and we lack 9,000 classrooms, " Aborya said, also pointing to the tourism, and agricultural ministries as also not setting aside enough funds for Arab areas.
Mossawa charges that 99 percent of the Ministry of Agriculture' s budget goes to "Jewish farmers and associations," and that the Development of the Negev and Galilee Ministry's budget offers Israeli Arabs nothing at all.

However, agriculture ministry spokesmen told local Ha'aretz daily that, "of the 2012 budget (120 million shekels, or 31 million dollars, designated for the development of public tourism infrastructure ), 17 million shekels (four million dollars) will be invested in Arab communities.

In addition, the ministry will invest 25 million shekels (7 million dollars) in aid to minority developers for hotel construction, and a separate budget of 16 million shekels (four million dollars) to encourage entrepreneurs in the Arab sector, for the establishment of small tourism businesses and bed-and- breakfast units.

This year the ministry will meet the government's goal of 10 percent minority participation in its workforce."

Additionally, the development ministry said that "the ministry has invested 85 million shekels (22 million dollars) in projects aimed at the Arab sector. It has established and promotes projects that are making great changes in that sector."