Kiryat Malakhi is advancing a new housing project for immigrants, driven by rising antisemitism and growing interest from Jews in Western Europe and the United States in moving to Israel. The project is being developed with the Shivat Tzion association and international groups that promote aliyah, and is meant to help newcomers arrive as part of an organized community rather than as isolated individuals.
The municipality recently hosted a delegation to promote the plan and showcase the city’s development and its capacity to absorb immigrant communities. According to the proposal, future residents will go through preparation and guidance starting in their country of origin, then live in the complex for about one to two years at a relatively affordable price before continuing their integration elsewhere in the city.
The planned site is in the Neot HaKfar neighborhood and will include about 70 to 100 housing units for singles, couples and small families. Alongside the homes, the project will feature a modern absorption center with ulpan classes, community support, and counseling and guidance services. The goal is to create a newer model of absorption that identifies immigrants’ needs in advance and connects them to the city, its residents, the education system, municipal services, employment and community life.
Next to the immigrant village, the city also plans a sports village that will include support for soldiers dealing with post-trauma, as well as sports, leadership and leisure activities for the neighborhood and the wider city. The complex is expected to include a therapeutic pool, a climbing wall, padel courts, sports fields and additional community spaces. Mayor Eliyahu Zohar said, “Kiryat Malakhi is a city with a big heart, a strong community and a real ability to absorb new families and give them a home,” adding that the project continues the city’s and Israel’s “Zionist vision” of encouraging aliyah and building new communities.
