In the south, most residents have returned, and reconstruction is underway; in the north, the destruction is enormous, and residents are still being evacuated. How do we strengthen and build the conflict zones after months of fire? These questions were addressed by a panel at the Urban Renewal Summit 2024. Ashkelon’s city engineer warned that the plan to rehabilitate the envelope could hurt the city, and Ma’alot Mayor Moti Ben David warned about the severe discrimination in the budgeting of the evacuated cities compared to those that did not.
By Nadlan Center
In a little over a month, we will mark one year since the outset of the Iron Sword War, which began on that accursed Shabbat of Simchat Torah. After many months in which they were evacuated, most of the residents of the south returned home, with the Takuma Administration already working hard to rehabilitate the south. The situation is much more complicated in the north, and residents are still being evacuated. How do we rehabilitate the destruction in the south, especially in the north? On Monday, a panel discussion was held as part of the Real Estate Center’s Urban Renewal Summit.
Moti Ben David, mayor of Ma’alot Tarshiha, spoke about his daily life in his city under the threat of Hezbollah’s missiles and drones: “We hold events with all the restrictions. The residents must be kept sane, it is impossible to draw any more time. This is our daily war, we are 6 and a half kilometers from the border, we are the first line against Hezbollah. They receive evacuees and provide educational and welfare services.”
“The evacuated communities should be prioritized, but it cannot be that the unevacuated communities on the conflict line – up to 9 kilometers – are considered the Tel Aviv of the north. I ask the government to take us into account. Most of the budgets and investments are given to the evacuees, but in the unevacuated communities, they experience the war every day. You must take care of their immediate budgets and look at the day after. If they don’t invest in all the communities on the conflict line, we are missing an opportunity to save the north and bring in new residents.”
“We need to invest in cities that already exist,” Ben David added, “the north is strong, but for entrepreneurs to come, the state needs to subsidize, double the number of residents so that residents don’t have to go down to shelters 4 or 6 floors. Today, some buildings do not meet the standard, and urban renewal is not only to build but to save people. At the moment we don’t get budgets, someone decided we were out of the game.”
Ruth Afriat, Director of the Israel Authority Business Division, said: “Already in November, we made a council decision for both the south and north lines of conflict, with the understanding that this is the challenge. It is sad to see the situation in the north, resources must be dedicated, there is a desire for a holistic view. You see the quality of the people in this region. Ultimately, the public believes in these places and wants to promote the establishment of three new communities in the north. There is room to strengthen the rural space for larger community communities to help those masses reach.” In response, Ben-David said, “It is more important to strengthen the existing cities.”
“The plan to rehabilitate the envelope harms Ashkelon”
Ashkelon’s city engineer, Victoria Brengle, said that the city returned to normal relatively quickly and opened construction sites within two weeks of the war. “On October 12, they gave occupancy certificates because they wanted buyers to enter buildings with safe rooms. We had 58 direct hits on buildings, of which half of the skeleton remained. We received calls from the Ministry of Housing from district committees, and on October 9, they asked me how they could help. I said that I wanted to promote urban renewal in the old buildings in a critical mass.
“Since then, we have succeeded in approving a plan in the National Planning Committee, and we have succeeded in announcing four large plans. There are plans in the district committees that have been circulating for too long. We are right at the border of economic viability. The State of Israel, the ILA and the Ministry of Finance should say that this is an important land reserve for the State of Israel, instead of developing green land, you can demolish the old neighborhoods and build new ones, but you have to put your hand in your pocket.”
According to Brengle, “Ashkelon did the umbrella agreement with great distinction. We met our commitments. We need help now to raise the income-producing real estate, also in terms of marketing, we need help. We don’t see a dark future, we see that there is interest, there are directions for marketing but we need help in promoting and it’s no secret. Today, the plan to rehabilitate the envelope harms Ashkelon. The Takuma Administration must also consider cities like Ashkelon, which are farther from the envelope.”
“The train to Kiryat Shmona will bring change”
Rafi Elmalih, Director General of the Planning Administration, said, “In recent years, we have greatly advanced the south, a lot of planning and large-scale marketing and successful marketing. We promoted Ofakim, Dimona, Ashkelon, the transportation and education system, and culture and services. The north is lacking, and we recently approved the train to Kiryat Shmona. I believe that the railway, the combination of a transportation system with a strategic plan by the Planning Administration, will also bring quality of life to the northern region. The attraction of the population will not come from housing prices being lower than in the center, but rather the quality will bring prosperity.”
Attorney Benny Dreyfus, director general of Mifal Hapayis, said, “The state has a responsibility; there is a huge crisis of trust between citizens and the state. Now, we have to try to generate trust and build back. Our rule was – trust is restored. On October 7, we asked the authorities what they needed. Mifal Hapayis transferred NIS 50 million to the authorities in the south and north. A variety of solutions for evacuees, each authority according to what it defined, we transferred the money, at a very confused and traumatic time, to say – you are not alone in the world. The helplessness of citizens calling has finished us.”
He says, “There is a desire to promote the periphery, but there are several failures; they know how to market together but do not create metropolitan areas. You have to decide to invest in infrastructure, regardless of the success of marketing. It seems unbelieved. The Planning Administration approves planning infrastructure, but there is no investment. If we believe it, it will happen, and the residents will come. The values of the rift will also enable urban renewal. The fact that no light rail in Be’er Sheva is an injustice; it won’t be like a metropolis.”
Eli Gabay, owner of the Gabbay Group: “We believe strongly in the periphery. In Ashkelon, we have an approved master plan of 1,000 housing units. One of the advantages of the project is the municipality’s willingness to remove the barriers. In the end, these are economic details. Much money is poured into the ground below; when you create a project independent of the state, you focus less on grants or supplementary land. There are worthy rewards for residents. Basement floors can be waived to move the project forward.
“One of the things that are missing in peripheral areas is at the end of the time component, which is the important factor if you know that in the periphery, you know how to promote a plan and issue a plan in a short time, time will compensate and it will be possible to execute a project with lower profitability. The licensing process for permits is a quick process in Ashkelon, even to bring in merchants you have to give benefits, in the end if they shorten the processes and I know that I am coming to a new area and the permits will be fast, I will focus there. If I know I will run for a long time, I’ll think twice.”
