State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman has issued a harsh report warning that growing use of enforcement cameras by local authorities is being carried out with insufficient oversight, creating a serious risk to residents’ privacy. The report says 38 local authorities operate in areas with bus-only lanes, but only six officially reported using cameras for enforcement. In 2024, the authorities examined issued about 121,000 parking and bus-lane tickets worth roughly NIS 44 million.
Herzliya topped the list with tickets totaling about NIS 28.2 million, followed by Ramat Gan with about NIS 14.3 million, Hadera with about NIS 1.2 million, and Binyamina-Giv'at Ada with about NIS 119,000. The audit found severe flaws in control rooms, including retention of unblurred footage against Privacy Protection Authority guidelines. It also found that Ramat Gan deleted about 256,000 events without a detailed reason, while Hadera removed records under the generic label “other,” raising concerns about drivers’ rights.
The report comes after a precedent-setting ruling by Tel Aviv Local Court Judge Ita Nechmad, who canceled an indictment against a driver accused of using a bus lane. The ruling relied on a district court position that municipalities do not have legal authority to use license-plate recognition cameras for enforcement. The state told the court that use of LPR cameras itself constitutes a privacy violation, reinforcing the comptroller’s findings.
The audit also highlights a welfare-system crisis, saying social workers face severe caseload pressure that has worsened significantly since October 7. Englman urged the Welfare Ministry to set maximum caseload limits and protect staffing levels to preserve service quality for vulnerable populations. Separately, the report says urban renewal is heavily concentrated in central Israel and Tel Aviv, with 58% of projects there, while earthquake- and rocket-threatened cities such as Safed, Tiberias and Kiryat Shmona have approvals on paper but no building permits issued, reflecting a failure to create national incentives for protection in less profitable areas.
