"It may be that I was wrong that I didn't grow up and keep going" • Aryeh Tal

(live here) – Aryeh Tal, the veteran mayor of Carmel Castle, sums up 30 years of extensive work for the city and 5 terms as its head.

It is not easy, and perhaps even almost impossible, to summarize such a magnificent work, in the political and public sphere as that of Aryeh Tal, especially easy when it spans over 30 energetic years and its results are clearly visible in every corner.

In recent years, Carmel Castle has become one of the most sought-after cities to live in. Young families choose to settle there when they prefer it to other cities. Residents from Haifa and the Kiryat, as well as from more distant areas, come to make their home there, raise their children there and enjoy the many advantages that the city offers.

The high demand for residences in Carmel Castle did not come from nowhere, but is the result of a lot of hard work, in-depth thought, learning and planning that have been invested for this purpose over the years and include many aspects - whether it is the field of real estate development, education, transportation, ecology and much more.

Who could have imagined that Carmel Castle, which for years was nicknamed "Texas" in its negative sense, would become such a sought-after city? A city to which thousands of young families flock with their children, seeking to make their home there? One that even people who live in luxury areas will prefer it over anywhere else?

The industry in the city is also flourishing and offers employment, it has one of the most beautiful and sought-after hotels located in a pastoral and magical area where it is difficult to find vacancies all year round.

The hotel, like many achievements in the city, is also credited to Tal, who already in 1994 talked about it and caused many eyebrows to rise in wonder. Another thing worthy of mention is Tal, which also protects the pockets of the residents and the well-being of the residents and keeps the property taxes fair and low in the country.

In a concluding, striking, pleasant and short interview in Tal's office, he tells Hai Fa about the actions, the decisions, the mistakes about the elections and more....

Carmel Castle is a household name today not only among the cities but in the region

"It is not easy to summarize 30 years of work and activity," says Tal, "but I can say that I took a city of a certain size and today it has doubled, in all areas, with this you can explain the work in all terms of office. The city was filled with a population that came from prestigious areas of all kinds of cities in Israel, and that means One thing - Carmel Airport is a popular name today, not only among the cities, but also in the entire region."

Both in terms of the quality of the construction and in terms of the quality of the population and in terms of the achievements it has reached and all of this starts with one thing. In order to convince and bring residents to the city there must be one basis and that is education. Our education has reached such dimensions from early childhood to adults and further future planning and development in the education systems, all of this resulted in the doubling of the residents.

Enters with 15,000 residents and leaves with 32,200 residents

Tal began his first term as mayor with 15,000 residents. He is finishing his fifth term and leaving the office with 33,200 residents - double their number on the day he began his journey as mayor of the city.

Success in managing a city and attracting a population outside the city is not an easy step. "What contributes to the doubling is the beauty of the neighborhoods alongside the advantages of Carmel on the one hand and the sea on the other and when it comes together it becomes a charming city in addition to the clean ecosystems in the area."

In addition to this, in Carmel Castle they invest a lot in the development of the education systems, schools and kindergartens, but the most notable thing that was done in the city, something that is not done in many cities, is the burying of a power line at a cost of 100 million NIS. In addition, a lot was invested in the development of infrastructure and public transportation, all these conditions doubled the number of residents in the city.

Tal adds and explains that as part of the urban renewal in which new buildings will be built in place of the old ones, the buildings will be resistant to earthquakes including dimensions so that the population will have a good place to live. According to him, everything is approved, as well as a school for the population with special needs, the Olusia that cannot shout and demand that a school has permission, it is budgeted and has already started.

The connection between veterans and new residents

"The important things," says Tal, "are the connection and relationship between the old population and the new population that arrived at Carmel Castle. The new ones couldn't believe it when they saw the wonderful way in which they were absorbed by the old ones.

But of course it requires work on many levels. "When you build a neighborhood you have to take care of the needs that are important to the new residents, it's not always possible to satisfy everyone immediately and sometimes it causes difficulties," he says. "Families that come here, especially the young ones, the parents think first of all about the children's future, which is education, kindergartens, schools.

The second issue is livelihood and jobs and the third place is the ecological and transportation environment. Today, all these data in Carmel Castle meet the demands of the residents. Apartment prices are also cheap compared to prices in other places, even though they have doubled here as well and today it is more difficult to purchase an apartment here, compared to what it was 7 years ago."

"I devoted mainly to execution in the field, less to politics"

Regarding the management of the city, Tal explains that in making decisions there are different ways and an order of priorities is required: "As far as culture, leisure and sports are concerned, we have many and varied activities in Carmel Castle that are expected to expand significantly, for example the construction of a sports field and a tennis court and other things are planned. In terms of culture, we take advantage the benefits of the environment.

Currently in Carmel Castle there are mainly activities for children, in the future a cultural hall and a new city hall are expected to be built. It was important to me to invest first in things that are important to the residents, and only then in the city hall building, for example, even though in other places they often invest in luxurious buildings."

"There will always be a mark"

"I didn't work like other mayors," says Tal. "I ran the presidency without a CEO, just 4 years ago a CEO came to the municipality. I did all the work on my own and devoted less work to politics and more to execution on the ground. These are mistakes that I can point out," he says, "I may have made a mistake that I didn't raise continues To the way out of the people who were around me. Although there were some who did not want to run for the presidency at all and preferred to be deputies, which is of course easier than convenient. At the same time, I am calm in all respects. After 30 years, I am proud of everything I have done and my mark will always remain in this city."

"The winner of the election is my wife"

Regarding the recent elections, Tal says: "I respect the choice of the residents and wish the incoming mayor that he succeeds and that he copes well with the continued momentum of the city. We have a great and beautiful city, and it is not easy," he says and then adds: "The one who won these elections is my wife." He says with a smile, "She says that after 28 years in the military service and another 30 in the PA, after all the time I was busy serving the residents, it's time to find out that there are grandchildren and a wife and take care of them. I hope I will succeed in this position."

Towards the end of the interview, Tal reveals that in October 2023, the groundbreaking ceremony for the Air Force School in the city was supposed to be held: "The war stopped us, but I hope that the school will indeed be built."

"Also for the industrial area there is tremendous planning that will turn it into a prestigious area, similar to the Sharona complex. There is an orderly and detailed planning and an approved city building plan that just needs to get underway and complete what is required for urban renewal. There is still a lot of work to be done, but I must point out that those who come after are getting a ready route and planned, and I believe they will do their best.

To the question of whether he intends to continue his political and public activities, Tal replied: "It is impossible to stop a person from the sequence of activities. Although I said that this is the end, but at the same time, I am sure that something else will arise in the future..."

Just before we said goodbye, Tal wanted to say one more thing:
"On this occasion, I would also like to thank you, Ether Hai Pa, for years of working together in covering what is happening in Carmel Castle, which in recent years has become the most intriguing city in Israel with a future still ahead of it. Congratulations on important journalistic work. I am sure we will meet again down the road." .