The future of the Ezrat Achim synagogue in Ness Ziona remains uncertain as a dispute between the Israel Land Authority (ILA), the municipality, and the synagogue's association threatens to end with the demolition of the more than 70-year-old building.
According to documents obtained by those involved in the case, the ILA has expressed a willingness in principle to examine allocating land to the synagogue's association. However, officials familiar with the matter say progress has stalled because the Ness Ziona Municipality has not identified an alternative plot for the congregation.
In a letter from the ILA's legal counsel for land protection, the authority said that following a meeting with the mayor of Ness Ziona, it was informed that the municipality is unable to offer a nearby alternative site for the synagogue. As a result, the ILA said it intends to file a claim to remove the synagogue from the land, a legal step that could ultimately lead to the building's demolition.
The dispute follows an earlier notice requiring the congregation to vacate the property. At the time, the ILA said it would consider allocating land to the synagogue association once the necessary documents were completed and subject to municipal approval, raising hopes that the synagogue's status could be resolved.
The Ezrat Achim association argues that the municipality is now preventing that solution from moving forward by failing to advance an alternative location or capitalize on the ILA's stated willingness to regulate the synagogue's status. Following the eviction threat, worshippers held an emergency gathering, and hundreds of Ness Ziona residents signed a petition calling for the synagogue to be preserved.
In response, the Ness Ziona Municipality said it is working to ensure the synagogue's continued operation. The municipality welcomed the ILA's willingness to consider allocating alternative land and said it would cooperate in pursuing that option. It added that no suitable plot is currently available in the neighborhood and that efforts are underway to locate a temporary site for the congregation.
Attorney Doron Radai, who represents the synagogue association, criticized the municipality's handling of the matter. He said the ILA's willingness to regulate the synagogue's status should have prompted municipal action, particularly given the synagogue's more than seven decades of service to the local community and the widespread public support reflected in the residents' petition.
Radai urged all parties to reach an agreement that would preserve one of Ness Ziona's oldest synagogues, warning that if the ILA proceeds with a removal claim, the association will pursue every available legal avenue to prevent the demolition and secure the synagogue's future.