The refusal Tuesday of a subcommittee of the National Planning and Building Council to approve the construction of five new marinas is an important step toward protecting Israel’s Mediterranean coastline as a resource for the use of the entire public. The decision expresses the right balance, which gives decisive weight to the needs of the majority of Israelis, who want as much beach area as possible at their disposal, rather than to a much smaller group of people who need berths for their privately owned boats. The decision leaves room for the pursuit of marine sports and education, which hav