State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman has issued a sharp annual report on local government, warning of systemic failures in traffic enforcement cameras, social welfare services, urban renewal, and business licensing. The report says the problems directly affect Israelis’ wallets, safety, and privacy, and it covers inspections in many municipalities and across government ministries.
One major chapter focuses on the growing use of cameras to enforce parking and bus-lane violations. Englman said such cameras improve enforcement, but “may harm the privacy of passersby,” so they require careful, limited use. Of 38 local authorities with public transport lanes in their areas, only six officially said they use cameras for enforcement. In 2024, the reviewed authorities issued about 121,000 parking and bus-lane tickets worth roughly NIS 44 million. Herzliya led with 81,026 tickets worth about NIS 28.2 million, followed by Ramat Gan with 36,192 tickets worth about NIS 14.3 million, Hadera with 3,651 tickets worth about NIS 1.2 million, and Binyamina-Givat Ada with 493 tickets worth about NIS 119,000.
The audit found serious privacy and oversight failures. Binyamina-Givat Ada, which stopped enforcement in March 2024, continued filming public areas around the clock for security and kept footage for 21 days, despite a 10-workday limit, while preserving image quality that allowed full identification without blurring. A similar failure to blur and protect identities was found in Ramat Gan. The report also said Ramat Gan deleted about 256,000 suspected violation events without recording why, while Hadera deleted 1,198 events under the vague label “other.”
Another section describes a worsening crisis in municipal social services departments after the October 7 attack and the war that followed. Englman said the events underscored the role of social workers, but inspectors found a systemic problem in recruiting and retaining them, alongside especially heavy caseloads that increased after the war began. The report urges the Welfare Ministry to work urgently with local authorities to retain workers and complete a maximum caseload standard.
In urban renewal, the report says the country faces a severe geographic imbalance driven by economic considerations. It notes that 58% of all projects, 472 out of 814, are concentrated in the central and Tel Aviv districts, while cities most exposed to strong earthquakes and security threats, including Beit She’an, Tiberias, Safed and Kiryat Shmona, have approved plans but received zero building permits. Despite earlier recommendations, the Prime Minister’s Office, Israel Land Authority, Planning Administration and Urban Renewal Authority still have not prepared a single national plan to incentivize projects in areas where they are not naturally profitable.
