November 6, 2026
Hello, everyone,
This week, we’ll devote the entire newsletter to one critical planning issue: the “Dorot Complex” plan is back on the drawheading board. This issue is also related to what happened at this week’s meeting.
Read on to find out: where and what they want to build, and who stands to make a lot of money. Keep reading to the end to learn about the council’s secret internal committee, which has been working on the Dorot Plan for some time now—without anyone even knowing the committee existed and without any reports being provided to council members.
💰 Unfunded Projects and the Hidden Planning Context
At this week’s council meeting, extraordinary budgets (TABAR) totaling approximately 2 million NIS were approved. To date, I have not been presented with any factual basis demonstrating that these budgets are covered by development funds.
The council ’s claim that the funds will be replenished with substantial sums warrants critical scrutiny: the primary source of funding for these funds is betterment levies resulting from the approval of large-scale construction plans. Injecting millions into the council’s coffers means one thing—an intention to approve and promote massive construction projects.
I assume the council was already aware of the submission of the Dorot plan—and perhaps of others in the pipeline—that will bring in money but at the heavy cost of high-rises and traffic jams. Furthermore, there is a real concern that this will also lead to the revival of the plan for high-density high-rises in the “Eden Inn” complex, which was previously promoted by a company registered in the Virgin Islands and sparked fierce public opposition. The central issue is not merely a matter of funding sources, but rather the planning and community costs that will be incurred to implement them.
The current political reality—a stable coalition, a weak opposition, and a public weary after a difficult period—creates fertile ground for the rapid advancement of far-reaching construction plans without adequate public oversight.
🎭 Shifting Responsibility and Misrepresentation
At the last meeting, the mayorn supported a motion for the agenda submitted by the “New Contract” faction, which he himself rewrote during the discussion. According to the motion, the council opposes construction plans that deviate from the master plan. He also reiterated during the meeting that the decision rests with the district committee, and that it is the committee that can authorize deviations. He opposes deviations from the master plan.
This wording allows him to portray himself as completely detached from the proceedings: he deals with flowers and roads, while planning responsibility rests exclusively with the District Planning Committee. This is a pretense; the mayor, like any mayor, wields decisive influence over construction plans in the community. Consider how many major construction projects have been advanced since he returned to office.
As part of my public role, and due to the lack of transparency and updates provided to council members—including in the areas of planning and construction—I regularly visit the websites of the regional and district building committees to review the plans. I have a team of professional volunteers who help me understand them. I don’t buy into statements—only facts. And the facts are very bad. It is my duty to present them to you.
I cannot stop these construction plans—only you, the residents, can. Wake up and take action!!
🏗️ The “Dorot Complex” Plan—Alarming Data
Under the public’s radar, without public participation and without prior notification to council members, Plan No. 353-1551498, “Dorot Complex, Zichron Ya’akov,” has recently been submitted to the district committee.
The plan proposes dramatic changes that clearly contradict the local master plan and promotes high-density construction in the heart of the quiet Yaakov neighborhood and along HaKovshim Street, on land currently zoned for public use:
- 📍Location of the site: An 18-dunam plot of land owned by the MALT Association (Center for Torah Education), stretching between Dorot, HaZayit, and HaKovshim Streets.
- 🏢 Scope of construction: According to the explanatory notes, the plan includes 275 housing units through new buildings and the addition of floors to existing buildings. (An addition of 208 housing units beyond the 67 existing units that were built as staff housing and sold on the open market.)
- ⚠️ Extremely high density: The plan calls for a density of 24 to 33 housing units per dunam! This is an extreme deviation from local policy and even an exceptional contradiction to the provisions of TAMA 35 (Amendment 4), which defines a range of only 10–12 housing units per dunam for this type of community.
Here are excerpts from the submitted plan: You won’t believe what they’re proposing to build
💎 Rezoning and Increasing Land Value
The area in question is currently designated for public buildings. Changing its zoning to residential use—for hundreds of housing units—will increase its economic value by hundreds of millions of shekels.
The MALT Association, whose official objectives relate to religion and education, has already received ongoing public allocations from the council for the needs of its institutions. This raises the question: How did an 18-dunam plot designated for public use become a private residential real estate project, and who are the other parties expected to benefit from this economic gain—are they officials within the association?
For details about the association, click here to visit the Ministry of Justice website
🚨 Substantial Deficiencies and Lack of Infrastructure Solutions
A review of the plan’s documents raises serious questions regarding the integrity of the process and the feasibility of the infrastructure:
- 🚫 Zero allocation of public green spaces: The plan does not include any additional recreational or landscaped areas for residents’ benefit.
- 🚗 A complete lack of transportation solutions: There is no road expansion (which is impossible anyway due to existing construction on Dorot Street), no additional public parking, no new vehicle exit from HaZayit Street to HaKovshim Street, and it is unclear whether there is a defined and safe pedestrian connection.
- 📄 Outdated documents: The submitted documents include data, some of which was compiled about six years ago and does not reflect the current planning and transportation reality.
- 🔍 Inconsistency with the Regional Committee: The council only requested the Regional Committee’s involvement last September under the pretext of “infrastructure development and the construction of a transformer station (trafo).” In practice, the plan submitted to the district authority makes no mention of these components; it includes only residential construction. Was a false representation made to the Regional Committee’s plenary session? (See Newsletter 102)
- 🛑 If the Regional Planning Committee no longer needs 18 dunams for public spaces, then instead of ceding the land to high-rise real estate developments that would enrich the Regional Planning Committee, it could actively exercise its powers under Sections 77 and 78 of the Planning and Construction Law. Under these sections, the council can initiate a plan for the area in accordance with the National Outline Plan and the character of the community, including expropriations for public purposes, etc.
🚨 The council’s secret internal committee discussing the Dorot plan
Over a year ago, a special committee was established to examine the Dorot complex, headed by Deputy Council Chair Tzila Reshef and Council Member Netanel Goldenberg.
Take note of the following astonishing fact: Council members and the public were never informed that such a committee had been established; its minutes were never published and may not even exist; and Council members were never updated!
A complete lack of transparency—where is the council members’ responsibility to report to the council? I know that Council Member and committee member Netanel Goldenberg opposes the plan and has highlighted the problems with it. And yet, I do not know what happened in the secret committee or how it relates to the plan that was submitted.
Click here to view the full plan on the Planning Administration website