Israeli Government Stalls Public Beach Development at Northern Dead Sea Over Sinkhole Insurance Issues
The northern shore of the Dead Sea currently lacks any public beaches, a situation the Israeli government aimed to change in 2018 by approving a budget of 12 million shekels to establish a public bathing beach there. However, eight years later, the project remains stalled due to unresolved insurance coverage against sinkhole damage, which is critical for starting construction. Internal government documents obtained by Calcalist reveal that while solutions exist, responsible agencies have failed to act, leaving the public without access to a beach in an area increasingly affected by environmental degradation.
Since 1961, when the Dead Sea Works company was granted a mining concession, about 250 square kilometers of the Dead Sea surface have dried up, with evaporation ponds and facilities constructed on parts of it. This resource extraction has caused the northern basin’s water level to drop by approximately 26 centimeters annually, about 20% of the recent total decline, leading to geomorphological changes such as shoreline retreat, sinkhole formation, and damage to springs and habitats. These hazards have forced the closure or damage of northern beaches, leaving only paid beaches available.
The State Comptroller, Matanyahu Englman, recently criticized the government’s neglect in a harsh report, highlighting that insurance companies refuse to cover sinkhole risks and exclude such damages from policies. The Capital Market Authority has not sought insurance proposals, and the government steering committee on the Dead Sea has not explored alternatives to private insurers. Both the Tamar Regional Council and the Ministry of Environmental Protection acknowledge that private insurance is unavailable, but the Comptroller and the ministry suggest government-backed insurance solutions, including coverage through the state-owned Inbal company, dedicated compensation funds, or state reinsurance schemes.
The geological institute’s sinkhole warning system, funded since 2018, is nearing the end of its budget, and without renewed funding, its critical early warning capabilities will cease, further hindering safe beach development. Despite the urgency, the government’s Accountant General has yet to instruct Inbal to provide insurance, and no ministry has taken responsibility for advancing the issue.
Tamar Regional Council head Nir Wenger emphasized the economic and social importance of a free northern Dead Sea beach, lamenting the government’s inaction despite having a state insurance company capable of providing coverage. He described efforts over two years to find an insurer for the necessary infrastructure works, including building a safe access road, but to no avail. Wenger envisions the project attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, complementing nearby tourist sites like Ein Gedi and Masada, and offering Israelis and international tourists a unique, accessible natural experience on the northern Dead Sea shore.
