One thousand activists from across the political spectrum gathered in Jerusalem Thursday, at the foot of the Holyland project, to protest proposed changes to the Planning and Construction Law. Protesters demonstrated under the slogan, “No to a Holyland State.”
The reference to the corruption-rife Holyland project emphasized protesters' concerns that proposed changes to the law would lead to more corruption in construction.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has touted the proposed reform as a way to simplify the process of getting building authorized. The building licensing process is long and complex, and often creates significant delays.
Opponents say they welcome the eased licensing process, but are concerned over changes to the planning process, which they say would severely limit public involvement in city planning and open the door to corruption among city officials, and to incompetence that could lead to the destruction of open spaces nationwide.
Among those present at Thursday's rally were MKs Dov Henin (Hadash), Aryeh Eldad (National Union – Ichud Leumi), Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz), and Eitan Cabel (Labor). Also at the rally were Eliad Shraga of the Movement for Quality Government, an anti-corruption watchdog, and young activists from the National Union, the Jewish Home, Labor, Meretz, and Kadima parties.
The rally was organized by the Society for Protection of Nature in Israel. It followed smaller rallies held over the course of the past month in cities ranging from the Golan to the South, including Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Modiin and Be'er Sheva.
Earlier in the week 44 MKs from nine Knesset factions, from United Torah Judaism and the National Union to Meretz and Balad, signed a petition calling to separate the proposed new law into two parts: a reform in licensing, which enjoys strong support, and the controversial reform in city planning. The government rejected the call to divide the bill.
'No to a Holyland State'
Activists from across the political spectrum warn against change to building and planning law, say 'No to a Holyland state.'
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