Dimona mayor threatens to freeze housing agreements over Finance Ministry policy

At the annual Urban Renewal Conference of the Israeli Building Center, which opened Tuesday in Jerusalem, a public clash erupted between local government and the national government. Dimona Mayor and Deputy Chairman of the Local Government Association Beni Biton sharply criticized the Finance Ministry and warned that he may halt all framework agreements for housing construction if the state does not change course.

"I am saying here for the first time, if the state does not wake up and understand the magnitude of the moment, I will stop all the framework agreements with the Finance Ministry," Biton said. He argued that the ministry’s changes to the housing mix have turned new construction into a direct financial burden on municipalities. "Every apartment built today means a loss of NIS 5,000 to the city treasury. We are on the front line, and you cannot expect us to absorb these losses," he added.

Biton also announced an imminent move for peripheral residents. According to him, "this week we will announce Dimona, Arad and Rehovot as part of the urban renewal program under a government decision." He said urban renewal has become "the most important strategic engine for the growth of our cities."

The conference, led by Center for the Israeli Building chairman Eran Rolles, brought together senior decision-makers, including dozens of mayors, regulators and developers. Rolles said the event is meant to turn obstacles into solutions and to build real cooperation between municipalities, developers and regulators so that Israeli cities will be safer, stronger and higher quality for residents. The stated goal of the gathering is to bridge the gap between urban vision and actual implementation on the ground.