IDF soldiers
IDF soldiersIsrael news photo: Flash 90

 

The Knesset's State Control Committee is holding a debate Tuesday morning on land that is under IDF control, which can be freed for housing.

The committee will discuss a State Comptroller report that say dozens of IDF installations and training areas, totaling over 50,000 dunams, are located in proximity to urban centers. These include installations that the IDF intends to vacate for that reason– such as Sde Dov in Tel Aviv, Tel HaShomer Base near the large hospital of that name, Tzrifin near the city of Rishon Letzion, Glilot near Herzliya, the maintenance base at Tira and Machaneh 80 in Pardes Hanna.

The IDF also holds dozens of abandoned bases on a total area of over 38,000 dunams. The Comptroller report explained that despite having received special payments to enable it to transfer this land back into the hands of the Israel Lands Authority, the IDF has been dragging its feet nonetheless.

MK Ronny Bar-On (Kadima), who heads the Control Committee, noted that "these are lands that are partially available for construction, which can solve some of the housing problems in central Israel and the periphery, and it is only because of mismanagement that they were not marketed years ago."