The Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved a bill Sunday that would dramatically streamline the process for establishing new communities in Israel, cutting approval times from an average of 7-10 years to less than a year.
The legislation, proposed by MK Tzvi Succot of the Religious Zionism party, aims to end what supporters call years of cumbersome bureaucracy and enable new communities to be established efficiently and quickly. The bill would also allow immediate construction of up to 400 housing units once approval is granted—a first under Israeli law.
Under the proposed mechanism, a dedicated committee would consolidate all planning authorities to advance new communities, replacing the current system where applications get stuck between multiple committees and government ministries. The new law sets strict timelines: planners would have 20 days to respond after a plan is submitted, the committee would be required to discuss the plan within 60 days, and after another 60 days for objections, the national committee would make a final decision within just 7 days. The entire process is expected to take about 187 days, or up to 277 days if revisions are needed.
“It’s time to save the Negev and Galilee through a wave of Jewish construction and a continuum of new communities,” said Succot, who chairs the Knesset Education Committee. “Unfortunately, the delays and bureaucracy that exist today don’t keep pace with the hostile takeover of state lands in the Negev and Galilee. The new law will allow state institutions to establish dozens of new communities in the area at record speed.”
Succot said he plans to bring the bill for a preliminary reading this week and aims to pass it in second and third readings during the summer session.