ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the differences in population growth patterns and migration trends among development towns in Israel. It provides a brief survey of studies on migration and development in Israel and abroad. The chapter shows that, when examining the differences among the towns that make up large geographical units, there is good reason to switch from an over-all development policy for peripheral regions to a differential policy. All Israeli governments have espoused a policy of population dispersion, generally signifying an intent to distribute the population, economic activity, and welfare services uniformly throughout the country. The chapter also examines the extent of similarity or dissimilarity in the patterns of migration and population growth of Israel's development towns. Natural increase in the development towns, which exceeded the national average in the 1950s and 1960s, also contributed to their rapid population growth. The effects transformed internal migration in development towns into a particularly prominent feature in shaping the various patterns of population growth.
