The first-ever comprehensive research report on building in Arab areas in Israel found that 30,000 homes in Arab Israeli towns and villages are in danger of being demolished due to a lack of legal building permits enabling new construction. The report by Sikkuy-Aufoq – The Association for the Advancement of Civic Equality, a previous NIFC partner, and The Arab Center for Alternative Planning (ACAP) found that 130,000 Arab Israelis live under the threat of having their homes destroyed by Israeli authorities.
In Arab areas where it is possible to receive a building permit, the report found that it takes an average of eight years for a permit to be granted compared with just 2.5 years in Jewish-majority areas.
The report found that most of the homes without permits are located in ten specific regions in Israel and that with the appropriate budget and resources, arrangements could be made to legalize the majority of the existing homes and thereby remove the threat of demolition.
Our grantees will keep making the case for appropriate and shorter planning procedures as well as a more streamlined and fair bureaucracy to address the housing crisis facing Israel’s Arab citizens.
