A plan to build a string of 16-18-story high-rise buildings
in Petach Tikva is threatening to form a choke ring around
the city's chareidi neighborhoods. The plot had been promised
for years as a land reserve to expand the chareidi
neighborhoods. The new plan includes a swimming pool and
tennis court that would completely alter the character of the
neighborhood.
The Israel Land Administration is slated to issue the project
tender soon. A campaign is underway to cancel the plan and
return the land to its original designation. The city's
chareidi neighborhoods are issuing a public call to Deputy
Prime Minister and Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor Eli
Yishai to exert his influence since the Lands Administration
is directly subordinate to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
Twelve years ago a contiguous string of chareidi
neighborhoods was built in Petach Tikva and populated by
about 1,500 families. Educational institutions and community
services were built for them. According to local leaders and
government officials the neighborhood was slated to
expand.
The land reserves earmarked for expansion were in an area of
streams bordering the neighborhood. For years the community
had been promised that when the land reserves were unfrozen
they would be made available for the expansion of the
chareidi neighborhood.
At a special meeting held in 1996 at the office of then Mayor
Giora Lev and attended by Mr. Edri, who was serving as
district director at the Interior Ministry, it was decided
that after receiving District Committee approval for the plan
a change would be made to accommodate the chareidi community
by reducing the height of the buildings by several stories,
but in practice the opposite took place and the buildings
were raised to the dizzying height of 16-18 stories, out of
an obvious desire to preclude chareidim buying in there.
Astonishingly the Israel Land Administration advanced and
nearly implemented a plan to build a new neighborhood clearly
designed for secular residents.
