Arab Local Authorities Demand End to Planning Freeze and Fair Development Criteria

The National Committee of Arab Local Authorities has called on the Israeli Planning Administration to halt the freeze on development and expansion plans affecting Arab communities. In a joint letter sent to Rafi Almaliah, Director General of the Planning Administration, and published on the Al-Jarmak website, the committee, together with the Arab Center for Alternative Planning and the Equality Center, demanded the adoption of professional criteria that ensure equality and address the economic and social needs of Arab residents. The committee described the current policy as a freeze and reduction of development plans in the Arab sector, which has led to the suspension or cancellation of advanced structural plans and a reduction in approved development areas since early 2023, without sufficient professional justification.

The committee also requested an urgent meeting with the Planning Administration leadership to discuss professional solutions that would guarantee fair and equitable development for Arab towns based on their current and future needs. They highlighted that since the establishment of the state, Israel has not founded a new Arab locality except for the unification of seven Bedouin villages in the Negev, while more than 700 Jewish localities have been established. The committee characterized this disparity as an institutional policy with political and national dimensions, masked by professional and planning discourse.