Weekly Update 53

August 12, 2025

Hello, everyone.

• First item: A review of the key decisions made at the last council meeting held on September 2, 2025—a budget was approved for the planning of some of the public areas in Neve Sharet. This involves dozens of dunams along the Gibor Stream from the Halomot neighborhood to the end of the Neve Sharet neighborhood, as well as additional areas within the Neve Sharet neighborhood. Part of the Gibor complex is an area designated for the construction of public buildings (approximately 9 dunams).
• Second issue: Where will the money come from for all the numerous construction plans (see details below)? Why is there no minimal transparency or council discussion regarding construction priorities? Where will the funding come from, and why are coalition members following the council head’s boastful claims that there is money?
• Third issue: Following my public criticism of limiting the La Strada Festival to August only, the Zamarin Community Center announced that activities on the pedestrian mall will continue on Thursdays in September and October as well. I’m glad they’re listening to the criticism and making improvements!! See the announcement below and come spend your Thursdays on the pedestrian mall.
• Fourth topic: For those with students at home. At the end of this newsletter, you’ll find a link to information and registration for the Mifal HaPais scholarship in partnership with the local council

First Topic: Budget for planning public spaces in the Neve Sharet neighborhood along the Gibor Stream

Council Member Ilan Amrani, who left our party and joined the coalition, is initiating a plan to develop part of the public spaces in the Neve Sharett neighborhood—including playgrounds, an open-air amphitheater, a public garden, and more. This involves dozens of dunams along the Gibor Stream corridor, starting in the southern part of the Halomot neighborhood—passing mostly through the Neve Sharett neighborhood and continuing to the new Park HaYayin neighborhood and additional land between HaBe’er Street and HaTirosh Street (according to the information provided to the plenary members).

The council engineer explained that the plan will also address transportation issues in the neighborhood (such as HaGat Street, which is blocked on all sides) and that the planning will be part of a multi-year plan to be submitted for approval by the Regional Planning and Construction Committee.

I voted in favor of the plan because public spaces need to be developed for the benefit of the public before anyone decides to rezone them and build high-rises there. But here too, the question that arises in light of the multitude of projects is: Where will the money come from? And that brings me to the second topic of this newsletter.

Topic Two: Where will the money come from for all the construction plans and infrastructure development? Why is there no discussion in the council regarding construction priorities?

For those who don’t recall all the previous newsletters, here are the expected construction plans. They are expected because the council has already approved millions in total for their planning. It is true that only after the plans are submitted and the costs are detailed will there be a vote on the construction budget in the full council—but the coalition has an absolute majority, and the council head will push everything through. The coalition will not stop to consider where the tens and hundreds of millions needed for all of this will come from.

Already today, the plenary approved approximately 14 million NIS for a supplementary budget to carry out construction work on a new wing at the HaHita School, a budget for development work in the Zamarin neighborhood, Plan Sh/1058 (near the recently closed Carmel Winery), and Plan Sh/580 (the Tazmoret neighborhood near the Country Club).

Below is a list of some of the expected construction projects:

• Construction of a sports stadium with locker rooms and seating at the entrance to Zichron Yaakov. The council head said this would be funded by the Pais Fund—but the Pais Fund finances other things in the community, such as equipment for schools and kindergartens, computer equipment, cultural and recreational activities, scholarships for students, and more. So they will have to give up some of these activities.
• The multipurpose center for seniors on the lot adjacent to the Country Club
• A memorial hall and memorial center on the lot adjacent to the Country Club
• A large auditorium on the lot adjacent to the Country Club near Beit Nir.
• Construction of the Keshet A-H Elementary School (16 classrooms and annex rooms) in the educational complex across from the Moshava High School. The Ministry of Education’s funding covers only half the cost.
• Construction of the Keshet Kindergarten, as above
• Construction of the Yeshiva High School, as above
• Construction of a new wing for the Moshava High School, as above
• Construction of a new complex for the operations wing
• A new building for the “Maccabi” youth movement near the Moshava High School.
• Additional daycare centers
• Development of dozens of acres of public spaces in the Neve Sharett neighborhood.
• Geometric redesign and renovation of HaKovshim Street
• HaMeginim Street
• Development of an employment zone, including the construction of a bridge over Highway 4
• Development of open spaces in the Moradot HaBeer neighborhoods (Sh/619)

And this is just a partial list

How will we pay for all these improvements in a community whose annual operating budget is 262 million shekels? Based on the previous term of the council head, who loves to build—will the funds come from the following sources:

• From the sale of the council’s properties and plots. Properties that, according to existing data, were previously sold at relatively low values. Properties that constitute the community’s financial reserve and must not be depleted without due consideration.
• From the current budget, meaning financing development loans, so that the current budget must approve loan repayments, which will divert funds from other projects that may be more important, such as the welfare department, increasing the number of hours in high school beyond what the Ministry of Education budgets, community activities, and more. And this will lead to a deficit, just as in the past.
• From the Authority’s funds, which in recent years have not been “replenished” at the desired rate of development, and only accelerated construction beyond the community’s capacity to bear it—which may add betterment funds. We all remember that an audit report by the Ministry of the Interior during Abutbul’s previous term showed that funds were withdrawn from the municipality’s reserve funds without a budgetary source and without the Ministry of the Interior’s approval. (Audited Financial Reports 2013)

What frustrates me most as a council member—and should concern you as well—is the fact that never, ever has there been a discussion in the council regarding priorities: what is more important right now and where we should invest. The feeling in the meetings is that anything is possible—millions in total are approved for planning projects that will cost tens and hundreds of millions. And all this without any discussion of what is more urgent to build now and what can wait for years to come. If such a discussion had taken place, I would have voted in favor of a building for the Maccabi Youth Movement first, or voted in favor of developing the public spaces in Neve Sharett long before another 450-seat auditorium adjacent to Beit Nir, which stands empty many evenings a week.

I wish there were money for everything. The reality is that there isn’t and there won’t be. If the mayor and coalition members believe the mayor’s grandiose promises that “there is money” and don’t stop him, or if they think otherwise—then they are collectively digging our collective budgetary pit right now.

I feel like the prophet warning at the gate, and no one is listening to him, because everyone is happy to build and build and doesn’t think about the future of the community.

And this is precisely the role of the Executive Committee: to bring plans and perspectives of this kind to the council plenary. I remind you that this is a mandatory committee under the law. After a year and a half, and only following my requests—the council chair brought the committee’s composition to the council for approval at the last meeting: himself, Meir Vanunu, Zila Reshef, Odelya Kadmi, and Ilan Amrani. I very much hope it won’t be an empty shell but will actually work to stop the construction frenzy and the budget deficit.

Third topic: The criticism is working! The Thursday pedestrian mall events will continue through September and October

This week it was announced that activities and events will take place on the pedestrian mall on Thursdays in September and October. You surely remember my public campaign against the decision and inaction that led to shortening the La Strada Festival to just one month—August—instead of July and August as in the past. This harmed the business owners on the pedestrian mall, residents, and tourists.

I wrote then, and I continue to argue, that we must invest in community activities, not just in building more and more structures. The protests and criticism prompted those who needed to listen to take action to correct—even partially—this important initiative. Here is the announcement, and most importantly, let’s spend our Thursdays on the pedestrian mall—for community fun and to support local businesses.

Fourth and final topic for those with students at home—check to see if they can apply for the Mifal HaPais scholarship in partnership with the local council. This is a scholarship worth 10,000 NIS, in exchange for which students will be required to contribute 140 hours of community service, scheduled in coordination with the students’ schedules.

The committee that approves applications and assigns students to various activities must consist solely of professionals from the local authority and the community center (as was the case in the previous term), and I expect this to remain so, with the committee operating without politicians or pressure from the coalition.

Applications may be submitted until September 30, 2025. Attached is the link to the Zamarin website—

https://www.zamarin.org.il/html5/?_id=14840&did=4688&G=14763&&SM=14840