Weekly Update 79

March 27, 2026

Hello, everyone.

Three topics in this week’s newsletter. Here’s a summary:

• Topic 1: At the last meeting, they finally “presented” the “Hatzarot HaMoshava” plan to us—the sale of 3.5 dunams of council-owned land adjacent to the pedestrian mall in the most expensive area of Zichron Yaakov, and the construction of two buildings with 30 residential units, offices, stores, and five levels of underground parking. Read on to find out how much the developer paid for the expensive land, and what the public is getting in return. And watch a video clip from the meeting where the council head answered almost none of the questions I raised, some of which were questions residents had forwarded to me.
• Second topic: A second meeting during wartime, and we still haven’t received any report on the community’s preparations for war. We didn’t hold a discussion on the state of the shelters, protection measures, and more. Two meetings devoted to real estate and construction projects (the council head’s favorite topic). And what else—read on.
• Third topic: How are council meetings conducted? Is the council head working for you, the residents? Read what a resident who attended the last council meeting wrote to me.
• I would appreciate a few volunteers who read English at a native level to help me review the English translations of several documents that have already been translated by AI. This would only take a few hours this coming week and would be a great help to the community.

“Hatzarot HaMoshava” Project—presentation of the plan and failure to answer questions

This involves a 3.5-dunam plot owned by the council, located at the rear of the pedestrian mall between Jabotinsky Street and HaNadiv Street/the pedestrian mall. It is where there is currently a large parking lot on the side bordering The Hobbit Pub and Danka Restaurant. (I wrote about this in the previous newsletter).

A decade ago, a specific zoning plan was established for this area, allowing for construction. But the question is: what scale of construction will this entail, and what will residents gain from the plan? The current council head, who is a fan of construction—and as much of it as possible—pushed the plan through, made changes to it, and soon one of the largest projects in the center of the town will be built on this site, completely changing the character of the pedestrian zone. At the meeting, we were informed that there is a winning bidder who paid approximately 7–8 million NIS for the site.

You might ask: How could 3.5 dunams in the most expensive area of Zichron Ya’acov—a plot valued at approximately 30 million NIS and including rights to build 30 residential units, an office floor, and shops—be sold for such a low amount? According to the council, supported by an external appraisal report, the reason lies in a five-story underground parking garage that the developer is required to build on the site. This parking garage will also include public stores that will be transferred to the council.

I’m sure you’ll ask me, so I’ll answer right here: I cannot point to anything illegal in the tender or prior to it at this time, because the agreement with the winning bidder has not yet been drafted. An agreement that must be approved by the full council. That is also why there are no details at this time regarding who the developer is or exactly how much they will pay, aside from what was stated in the meeting.

But my stomach turns at this massive project that will destroy the pedestrian zone, and in exchange we received only 7–8 million NIS and 170 public parking spaces (in practice, an addition of 100 public parking spaces to the existing ones, and it is likely that they will all be paid parking). Will they really build 5 floors of underground parking, or will the developer receive “concessions”? Time will tell. It’s good that I’ve kept this newsletter, so that in a few years we can review the facts.

The opposition demanded that the plan be presented to the full council. And at the last meeting, the plan was indeed “presented.” I put that in quotes because it was a presentation for the record—so it would be written down that a presentation took place—but without any real substance.

I’ll remind you of what I already wrote in a previous newsletter—during the previous presentation of a massive construction project (the demolition-and-reconstruction plan on HaTirosh Street in Neve Sharett), the council head wouldn’t let me ask questions. He said the discussion was over. I wrote a letter to the district supervisor at the Ministry of the Interior regarding this matter—about my being silenced as a council member.

So in the current charade of yet another massive construction project (the Hatzerot HaMoshava plan)—the council head allows me to ask any question. But—he doesn’t answer a single one, urging me to wrap it up—move on, move on. Of course, I’ll write to the Ministry of the Interior again. But more importantly, you need to know what’s happening and pass this on—

Huge construction projects are moving forward without real discussion, without answers to the questions. The questions aren’t mine—they’re yours. I’m not a developer and I have no interest in Zichron Ya’acov real estate. I’m asking these questions on your behalf. When they won’t let me speak, and when they won’t answer my questions—they aren’t answering yours either. The residents don’t matter to the mayor and his coalition partners.

It sounds crazy, but in this “show,” they didn’t tell us how many housing units will be built there. And when I ask this most important question—the mayor doesn’t answer, says “I don’t remember,” and tells me to read the plan. So why is there a meeting?? And are the residents watching the meeting not entitled to know the most important figure—how many residential units there will be?

And when I raise a question about the betterment levy(“Heitel- Hashbacha”), the council head and his deputy mock me to my face for my lack of knowledge, saying that the council doesn’t pay a betterment levy. And I admit I froze in the face of this mockery and bullying and didn’t follow up with the rest of my question: “So will the developer pay the betterment levy, funds from which the community will benefit?” Try enduring, meeting after meeting, what I’m constantly subjected to—and see if you don’t freeze up and forget to ask anything.

And the council head continues to remain silent even when I ask, on behalf of the residents bordering the plot, that the council engineer meet with them as soon as possible, because they have many concerns due to the massive construction taking place right next to them. When it’s clear to all of us that now is the time for the council to look out for them too, and not just the developer. Because the agreement with the developer hasn’t been signed yet, and it’s possible to include clauses in the agreement that will protect the residents—such as working hours, a requirement to take measures to reduce noise and vibrations, and more. But the council head isn’t interested; the residents don’t matter. The main thing is to build another construction monstrosity.

I invite you to watch five minutes of the meeting where I try to ask questions about the plan, some of which were referred to me by residents living adjacent to the complex. These are questions that must be answered, but the council head simply won’t let me. His catchphrase is “move on.” And this is certainly not how a presentation of a mega-construction project should look.

Preliminary note: Throughout the entire meeting, the camera focuses only on Abutbul; there are no shots of the council members or other speakers. People are speaking, but you can’t see who’s speaking (in the clip you’ll see below—I’m the “voice” speaking). The frame is constantly on the council head. A technical glitch? I’m not sure, mainly because the person in charge of the cameras is sitting with us in the meeting the whole time and “doesn’t notice.” And especially because the system, which was purchased and designed during the previous term, allows the camera to immediately turn to whoever is speaking. But that doesn’t happen. In any case, this clearly reflects the state of affairs where only the council head matters. We are somewhere between extras and subjects. In my opinion, this is also a misuse of public resources.

Click on the following link and the video will open—

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zLyuv0NPYWJmuI9MmCukltrdqNMQtaPw/view?usp=drive_web

Second topic: What the council plenary did not discuss during wartime. And what are the priorities of the council head who sets the agenda and the meeting topics

We are at the end of the fourth week of the “Lion’s Roar” war; during this period, two council meetings were held. In neither meeting did we address the community’s preparations for war. To date, we have not received any report from the council head or the council’s security officer regarding what is happening in the community. For example, the status of public shelters, the management of the community center during an emergency, the education department’s preparations during the war, support for reserve forces’ families, families in distress, and more.

If council members attended meetings during wartime—then basic transparency and proper governance require that we receive updates and hold discussions on the war as well. Council members are not just a bunch of rubber-stampers and yes-men, especially when I hear complaints from residents everywhere about the state of the shelters, the lack of protection in certain areas, the lack of public information about recreational activities for children in protected spaces, and more. If there had been a discussion, I could have voiced the residents’ concerns, received answers, and raised ideas. But the council members aren’t taken seriously—there’s one person “running the show,” and his name is Eli Abutbul. And the council members are just extras in a play called “the plenary session.”

And the Mandatory Committee, the Security and Passover Committee, has still not been convened. This is the committee that is supposed to be particularly active during wartime.

So let’s look at what the two meetings actually addressed during wartime and understand what really matters to the coalition—and that, of course, is construction, real estate, and the Moshava Park.

• A vote on the demolition and reconstruction plan for HaTirosh Street. Although there is no urgency regarding this matter, as it is still unclear whether the developer has signed an agreement with the tenants, whether the Israel Land Authority has granted the necessary approvals, and whether the Urban Renewal Authority has approved the number of new housing units. In two meetings, we discussed the plan in which the council is joining as a developer due to a public building that the project will include, but the plan was prepared by the developers and funded by them.
• Presentation of the “Hatzarot HaMoshava” project. It is true that this is an initiative of the opposition, which demanded even before the war that the plan be presented to us. But if there is time for this, then surely there is time to update the council members on the town’s situation during the war.
• Three budget items concerning the Moshava Park (benches, lighting, a fountain whose cost has already reached 810,000 NIS, and at the previous plenary session we approved a budget for a pergola)—a bottomless pit into which we are pouring more and more money. I just hope you are enjoying this park. By the way, a bomb shelter was installed there this week, and as far as I know, the cafeteria building is supposed to include a protected space. The park created massive deficits in the development budget during Abutbul’s previous term (construction costs exceeding 20 million NIS, including expropriation compensation) and is proving to be a money pit in the current term as well.

Regarding the fountain—we voted on it in four different meetings. Each time, the budget allocation increased. They did it using the “salami slicing” method. Had we known in advance what the cost would be, I and likely other members of the opposition would have voted against it. It wouldn’t have made much difference, since coalition members pass everything the council head requests.

We also addressed a series of justified issues that cannot be postponed: road repairs, completing sidewalks, and drainage. That is why it is important that we meet even during wartime and take care of the community. But let us also address the community’s situation during the war.

Third issue: How the council plenary is conducted and the infringement on the public’s right to information

If you watched the clip from the meeting shared in the first topic, and if you follow my updates, you know that this is standard practice at council meetings—they always block and silence me with bullying. Always with personal insults (they love to remind me that I’m a Ph.D. in Law and Ethics…)

Here is what a resident who watched the meeting sent me this week. It sums up the third topic well (at her request, this is being published anonymously out of fear for her safety).

Dear Limor,

I watched in shock as the latest council meeting exposed a grim reality of distorted priorities. While the community’s essential needs are neglected, the council chose to allocate massive resources totaling 800,000 NIS to a trivial landscaping project in the form of a fountain in Moshava Park.

The deafening silence regarding the renovation of bomb shelters, the inadequate care for the elderly population, and the lack of support for reservists’ families, education, and the raging war in our country speak volumes about the current priorities.

The repeated attempts to silence you, an outstanding council member who seeks only one thing—transparency and data for the public’s benefit—are unwarranted and unacceptable. Portraying a public representative as an “enemy” simply because she dares to demand accountability for our tax dollars is an affront to all residents of the town.

We stand with you and with everyone fighting for good governance and priorities that put people first, not the fountain or delusional construction plans. Well done

Continue on your courageous, wise, and resolute path to ensure good governance and serve the public in Zichron!

Question: What should we do in a situation like this?

Answer: Help me add more people to the newsletter. So that more residents can learn what’s happening at the council. Please take a few minutes to reach out to your neighbors, those in your class’s parent group, and others—and send me their email addresses. I remind you that the mailing list is confidential.

Come on—let’s do a “Add Friends” campaign for Passover.

I would like to wish you and your families a happy holiday. May we achieve true freedom and at least prevent giant pyramids from being built in Zichron Ya’akov.