State auditor finds no building permits issued in 23 demolition-and-rebuild projects in northern cities

State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman has published an annual audit of local government focused on urban renewal in municipalities. The report, completed before last week’s approval of the government’s protection and strengthening plan for northern communities, says that in 23 demolition-and-rebuild projects in Beit She'an, Tiberias, Kiryat Shmona and Safed, no building permits were issued at all over the past decade.

According to the audit, the permits were still not granted despite the fact that these cities face the highest earthquake risk because they are located in a seismically sensitive area. The report also notes that the same communities have been under fire from Lebanon and continue to be exposed to such attacks.

The finding highlights a long-standing delay in advancing urban renewal in northern Israel, at a time when the state has also moved to approve a separate shielding and reinforcement program for those communities.