Israeli Parliament Extends Fast-Track Housing Planning Committee for One Year with New Restrictions

The Knesset's Interior and Environmental Protection Committee, chaired by MK Yitzhak Kroizer, approved the extension of the National Committee for Planning Preferred Housing Complexes (known as VATMAL) for an additional year despite opposition. The law will now proceed to a final vote in the full Knesset. Established in 2014 to address Israel's housing crisis, VATMAL accelerates approval of large-scale housing plans by bypassing standard planning procedures. The committee’s authority supersedes existing plans, and its decisions cannot be appealed to the National Planning and Building Council.

The extension follows prolonged negotiations between the Regional Council Center and the Planning Administration. Initially, a three-year extension with expanded powers was proposed, but the final agreement limits the extension to one year with several new restrictions. These include reducing the number of annual plans on Israeli land from 18 to 10, clearer limits on land deviations, and capping the reduction of settlement land to 25% unless approved by the state, the settlement, and the council.

Despite these concessions, the Regional Council Center maintains its opposition, advocating for strengthening regular planning institutions and utilizing existing plans for over one million housing units. Chairman Shay Hajaj emphasized the need to balance rapid planning with preserving agriculture and food security, stating VATMAL should remain a temporary emergency tool.

Environmental groups, including the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, also oppose the extension, citing ongoing loss of open and agricultural land and an oversupply of planned housing units. They argue VATMAL has failed to solve the housing crisis and harms natural resources.

Planning Administration Director Rafi Almaliah defended VATMAL, highlighting its role in national development, urban renewal, and peripheral growth. He noted that about 260,000 housing units are currently promoted through VATMAL, mainly in urban renewal projects near transit hubs, with significant restrictions on agricultural land use.

Separately, the National Planning and Building Council approved updates to the national outline plan for rural areas (Tama 35), affecting over 850 communities. The update aims to support multi-generational growth while preserving rural character, agriculture, and open spaces, balancing development needs with national land interests. This update was part of the recent agreements between the Planning Administration and the Regional Council Center.