1. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the following remarks:„On Friday, a shocking murder took place in Norway. As of now, 92 victims have been identified but the number could rise. We in Israel completely identify with this disaster and declare our deepest shock over this crime. We have experienced it from other directions and we know the families’ and the nation’s agony. Therefore, I again send the condolences of the state, government and people of Israel to the
Norwegian people, state and government.
Norwegian people, state and government.
We are currently witnessing a housing crisis that is finding public expression. The distress is real. We not only identify with it, we identified it years ago and even before I became Prime
Minister, I asked a professional committee headed by Yuval Steinitz to prepare a
plan to resolve the fundamental problem of the housing market in Israel.
Minister, I asked a professional committee headed by Yuval Steinitz to prepare a
plan to resolve the fundamental problem of the housing market in Israel.
Young people are struggling. Discharged soldiers find themselves with insufficient means. Young couples have nowhere to live because apartments are too expensive. Apartments are too
expensive because there are not enough of them. There are not enough apartments
because a Government monopoly holds more than 90% of the land in Israel and it
is not releasing it. It is not releasing it twice. First of all, it is not
releasing it for planning because there are planning committees, the most
cumbersome in the western world or nearly so, and it takes five or more years to
plan an apartment in Israel. It is not releasing it because when an apartment
is planned, in order to market it, there is another cumbersome body, called the
Israel Land Administration, which releases it very slowly, at very high
prices. It releases few apartments at astronomical prices; therefore, in order
to change this, it is necessary to bring about a fundamental change, to break
the Government monopoly, to simplify the planning and building committees and to
simplify the ILA and change it into a body that markets the land of the state of
Israel for the Israeli people.
expensive because there are not enough of them. There are not enough apartments
because a Government monopoly holds more than 90% of the land in Israel and it
is not releasing it. It is not releasing it twice. First of all, it is not
releasing it for planning because there are planning committees, the most
cumbersome in the western world or nearly so, and it takes five or more years to
plan an apartment in Israel. It is not releasing it because when an apartment
is planned, in order to market it, there is another cumbersome body, called the
Israel Land Administration, which releases it very slowly, at very high
prices. It releases few apartments at astronomical prices; therefore, in order
to change this, it is necessary to bring about a fundamental change, to break
the Government monopoly, to simplify the planning and building committees and to
simplify the ILA and change it into a body that markets the land of the state of
Israel for the Israeli people.
It has taken us two years to fight for these two changes. Not everyone understood. You remember that when they did not understand, they called it ‘Netanyahu’s porch reform’ but today, this
week, we are completing these two major changes – the reform of the ILA and the
reform of the planning and building committees.
week, we are completing these two major changes – the reform of the ILA and the
reform of the planning and building committees.
These are genuine answers to the
housing crisis but in the meantime the Government has taken important steps in
the past two years. First of all, it cancelled the previous Government’s absurd
ban on construction in the Dan region. Second, we gave grants worth NIS 100,000
to 28 communities in the periphery. We are linking the periphery with roads,
highways and railways in order to open up additional land and ease the housing
crisis in both the center and the periphery.
housing crisis but in the meantime the Government has taken important steps in
the past two years. First of all, it cancelled the previous Government’s absurd
ban on construction in the Dan region. Second, we gave grants worth NIS 100,000
to 28 communities in the periphery. We are linking the periphery with roads,
highways and railways in order to open up additional land and ease the housing
crisis in both the center and the periphery.
Of course, we gave various
incentives. We will yet give additional incentives to contractors to build
apartments quickly and to release apartments – for landlords that are holding
them in order to rent as offices or to stand empty – for entry into the
market.
incentives. We will yet give additional incentives to contractors to build
apartments quickly and to release apartments – for landlords that are holding
them in order to rent as offices or to stand empty – for entry into the
market.
As a result of this, today, there
are 45,000 apartments this year. These are new construction starts, almost 50%
more than the average in the past decade. This is an important achievement. It
is not enough. This week, we will do two major things. One, we will pass the
ILA reform and the reform of the planning and building committees, so that the
‘supertanker’ may take off. It hasn’t yet and this will be the first
thing.
are 45,000 apartments this year. These are new construction starts, almost 50%
more than the average in the past decade. This is an important achievement. It
is not enough. This week, we will do two major things. One, we will pass the
ILA reform and the reform of the planning and building committees, so that the
‘supertanker’ may take off. It hasn’t yet and this will be the first
thing.
The second thing, we will take a
series of focused steps in order to help young couples, students and other needy
populations in the next 1-1.5 years until the major housing supplements come
into force.
series of focused steps in order to help young couples, students and other needy
populations in the next 1-1.5 years until the major housing supplements come
into force.
I think that the Government – in
contrast to previous governments – has acted to bring about major change, the
first signs of which we are already seeing in all kinds of economic indicators,
but it is clear that our goal is that a young couple and young people in Israel
will be able to enter apartments, travel on fast trains or a highway and reach
the city centers. This is possible; this will also happen.
contrast to previous governments – has acted to bring about major change, the
first signs of which we are already seeing in all kinds of economic indicators,
but it is clear that our goal is that a young couple and young people in Israel
will be able to enter apartments, travel on fast trains or a highway and reach
the city centers. This is possible; this will also happen.
I know that what we are saying
here is being scoffed at by some but they also scoffed at the major reforms we
enacted in the economy and today we see the economic situation. Fixing the
distorted socio-economic situation, which stems from Government bureaucracy and
monopolies vis-à-vis housing, in planning and in marketing apartments – these
solutions will give genuine assistance to the overall housing problem, just as
the economic reforms provided solutions for the economy.
here is being scoffed at by some but they also scoffed at the major reforms we
enacted in the economy and today we see the economic situation. Fixing the
distorted socio-economic situation, which stems from Government bureaucracy and
monopolies vis-à-vis housing, in planning and in marketing apartments – these
solutions will give genuine assistance to the overall housing problem, just as
the economic reforms provided solutions for the economy.
Lastly, today, we will decide on
building a new airport for Eilat at Timna. It will be an alternative to
Ben-Gurion International Airport and serve as an additional international
airport for the State of Israel. It will also be an alternative airport for
Eilat. It will free up considerable land in Eilat, provide a solution for the
expansion of Eilat and prevent noise and other pollution in the city. In other
words, this is a very important decision. It is part of the steps we are taking
to change Eilat and the Negev, including laying a railway to Eilat and widening
the Aravah road. We are also checking on the possibility of moving the Eilat
port but we haven’t yet decided on it. All of these things are really changing
the face of reality in the State of Israel and I think that they attest to the
fact that things are changing very rapidly.”
building a new airport for Eilat at Timna. It will be an alternative to
Ben-Gurion International Airport and serve as an additional international
airport for the State of Israel. It will also be an alternative airport for
Eilat. It will free up considerable land in Eilat, provide a solution for the
expansion of Eilat and prevent noise and other pollution in the city. In other
words, this is a very important decision. It is part of the steps we are taking
to change Eilat and the Negev, including laying a railway to Eilat and widening
the Aravah road. We are also checking on the possibility of moving the Eilat
port but we haven’t yet decided on it. All of these things are really changing
the face of reality in the State of Israel and I think that they attest to the
fact that things are changing very rapidly.”
