Green Construction to Become Mandatory in Israel From 2021
Long voluntary and used mainly in wealthy cities, the savings and environmental benefits will now reach everyone
Yael Darel
Welcome to Summayl: Tel Aviv’s Controversial Multimillionaires-only Compound
The ruins of Summayl – an Arab village that was abandoned by most of its residents after the War of Independence – remained a wild enclave in the middle of Tel Aviv. Up until now
Record Number of Mortgages Taken Out in 2019, Bank of Israel Reports
Surge in borrowing to 67.6 billion shekels was due to a government program, which offered lower-priced housing to qualified buyers via a lottery ■ Bankers say trend will continue in 2020
Burial 2.0: In a Box or on the Third Floor With an A/C and an Elevator
By 2048, Israel will need 1.4 million new graves. Some want to revive Second Temple-era burial in boxes. Over my dead body, says Rabbinate
This City Wanted to Be Israel's Berlin. So What Went Wrong?
Haifa had everything needed to become a success story: A beautiful scenery, a major university, flourishing high-tech industries and cheaper housing than Tel Aviv
Proposed Legislation Would Do Away With Realtor Licenses in Israel
Reform would move oversight from the Justice Ministry to the Economy Ministry
Nixing Quake-proofing Program Puts Israel at Risk, Experts Warn
Committee says that by ending the program to reinforce older buildings, Israel might face a disastrous situation after a major tremor
$520,000 for a Laundry Room in Tel Aviv? Judge Says No Way
The purchasers thought they were buying into an urban renewal project, but it turns out the sellers knew otherwise
Right-wingers Shelve Development Plan Because It Doesn't Include West Bank Settlements
Far-rightist Bezalel Smotrich, the new transportation minister, is already making his presence felt by helping stall the plan that covers everything from energy to mining to water use
An Accidental New City Pops Up in Israel's North
Harish was supposed to be a Haredi town but was quickly reconfigured by planners into a mixed city of 120,000, and growing pains have followed
Israel's Fattal Hotels Set to Launch Shared Workspace Facilities Next to Hotels
Move comes weeks after it begins offering short-term apartment rentals on Airbnb
Israel to Ban Cash Payments in Real Estate Sales as of January
Authorities are trying to crack down on the black market and tax evasion that has characterized much of the real estate market
Despite New Law, Israeli Rents Are Rising Rapidly
First systematic survey of market finds that rents have risen as much as 5% in 2018
Dystopian Vision 98% of Israelis Will Live in Giant Apartment Towers by 2050, Report Finds
Study by an institute for national policy predicts that by 2050 nearly all Israelis will also be doing everything else underground because the population will double
Beachfronts for the 1%? A Slew of Planned Marinas Threaten to Crowd Out Israel’s Very Limited Coastline
A plan envisages nine new marinas as well as the expansion of the existing ones. ‘There’s no reason in the world to build new marinas for a handful of wealthy people,’ says the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel
The Owners of Tel Aviv’s Luxury Towers Go to War on Airbnb
Developers are opting for bylaws ensuring that apartment owners can’t rent out their space and irk their neighbors
Israeli Government Operating Flagship Housing Lottery Without Permits
Lapse leaves state open to possible lawsuits from failed applicants, Justice Ministry says
High-tech Tenants Get First Two Months Free Rent in Ramat Hasharon
Hitech Zone, which targets high-tech employees, is making a special offer to members worth over 14,000 shekels. Offer comes as government-regulated rental apartments moving slowly
Israel Doubles Quota of Migrant Workers
Officials say increase in number of workers who can work in Israel for foreign companies is part of the drive to speed up construction
Spate of Earthquakes Leaves Tiberias Feeling Vulnerable
Historic city has thousands of homes without adequate protection as gov’t programs fail to address the problem
New Heights: Construction of Israel's Tallest Skyscraper Approved
At 400 meters, Tel Aviv District Planning Board approves a plan to build Israel’s tallest skyscraper ever
Despite Wave of Fatal Building Accidents in Israel, Safety Is Rarely Enforced
Housing Ministry fails to impose serious sanctions despite 100 deaths since 2016
Not Safe for Chinese: Israel's Poor Record on Construction Sites' Irks Beijing
Two Chinese workers were killed in construction accidents this year, prompting what some say are diplomatic tensions between the countries and tighter controls by Beijing
U.S. Embassy Move to Jerusalem Stalled, Despite Government Efforts
While the embassy was exempted from requiring a building permit, it hasn't gotten permission to build a wall around the new office - one of Trump's key demands
Israel Approves Plan to Open U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem on Independence Day
Planning board waives building permit, allowing expedient construction on the U.S. consulate in order to turn the building into a temporary embassy by May
Israel Scrambles as Trump's Plan to Relocate U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem Stuck in Red Tape
Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon is promoting an emergency move that would bypass planning regulations enforced by law; hurdles posed by Israeli law and U.S. demands complicate plan
An Israeli City's Bid to Build Secular Neighborhood Fails
Builders show scant interest, while the home buyers are ultra-Orthodox Jews
Shimmering Dimona: Is That the Pearl of the Negev on the Drawing Boards, or Is It Just a Desert Mirage?
Long neglected, the town is due to get massive government funding aimed at tripling its population in style