At the start of this week’s cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proudly announced, “We have a great obligation to our friends in the Druze and Circassian communities. Today, we are submitting another cabinet decision on developing and strengthening these communities, an additional 50 million shekels [$15 million] for planning, infrastructure development, the expansion of Hebrew language studies and more. We are instructing the professional elements in the various ministries to continue formulating the five-year plan.”

The announcement struck like thunder on a sunny day. There was no previous indication that anything like it was coming, though it is no doubt a welcome step. It is always good to see the government investing in minority populations. However, if we look a little more closely at the announcement, the sum is a drop in the proverbial bucket. The Forum of Druze and Circassian Local Authorities represents a total of 16 localities. How much can they really plan and develop if all they get is about 3 million shekels ($900,000) apiece?

Then there is the timing of the announcement. It came three weeks after the government approved another year-long extension of the five-year plan for the Arab population and Bedouin localities and just three days after the Justice Ministry announced a freeze of the 2017 Kaminitz Law, offering some relief from enforcement of policies pertaining to illegal residential construction on agricultural land that principally affect Israel’s Arab and agricultural sectors.

Considering that the Justice Ministry is controlled by the Blue and White Party and not the Likud, the inevitable question is whether politics played a role. Is there a connection between the prime minister’s announcement this week and others over the past month?