Bat Yam
Bat Yamצילום: משה שי, פלאש 90

The special committee set up by former Interior Minister Gideon Saar to investigate the boundary issues associated with the city of Bat Yam released its recommendations Sunday. Four out of five members recommended that Bat Yam merge with neighboring Tel-Aviv within two years.

Interior Minister Aryeh Deri announced that he was seeking input from the mayors of both cities before deciding whether to adopt the recommendation.

The committee was established in August, 2014 by then Interior Minister Gideon Saar in response to Bat Yam’s financial difficulties and the lack of open areas suitable for commercial enterprises, which produce more tax revenues than residential areas. Bat Yam has a very small territory with no room to expand beyond its current boundaries. The committee was chaired by former Ashkelon mayor Benny Vaknin.