June 12, 2026
Hello everyone,
Two topics in this week’s newsletter, and finally, congratulations to the 12th-grade graduates who finished this week.
- First topic: At the last council meeting, the coalition approved the cancellation of the public expropriation of an area adjacent to a historic building located on HaMeyasdim Street. Access to the building is also available from the parking area behind the Ariel Bakery. This is part of the adjacent land where the building was converted into the Gefen Guesthouse (8 guest units accessible from the parking lot).
- Second item: Several updates regarding the Zamarin Community Center that came up at the last council meeting: The appointment of Deputy Mayor Tzila Reshef as chair of the Zamarin Association was approved; she is replacing the mayor in this role. The meeting also included a report on the Zamarin Association’s finances for 2025. Read what’s in it from a financial perspective and other implications!
First topic: Cancellation of the expropriation of public land adjacent to a historic building on HaMeyasdim Street—what was not disclosed to the council members who voted in favor
At the last plenary session on June 2, 2026, which I did not attend, the following item appeared on the agenda: Cancellation of the expropriation in Plan 353-1427137, HaMeyasdim Street. This concerns 160 square meters located in the parking lot behind Ariel Bakery, in the section adjacent to the Gefen Guesthouse, which is accessed from this parking lot. The guesthouse consists of 8 accommodation units that were converted from a historic building into a guesthouse in accordance with Plan 12/C.
The letter from the Council Engineer explaining and recommending the cancellation of the expropriation can be found in the meeting agenda on page 69—Letter
This is the Council Engineer’s recommendation as stated in the letter:
"Following a review of the proposed plan, the statutory framework applicable to the site, the characteristics of the built environment, and the heritage preservation values of the area, it has been determined that there is justification for cancelling the requested expropriation. The area subject to the expropriation constitutes only a limited portion of the overall parking area, while in practice its potential use for parking purposes is constrained from both a physical and planning perspective, inter alia due to the adjacent historic wall and the designated heritage structure located within the parcel. From a planning perspective, the cancellation of the expropriation is consistent with the long-standing planning policy for the precinct, which seeks to strengthen the town centre through the promotion of commercial, tourism, and residential uses, alongside the preservation of the historical values and urban fabric of the area. In addition, the proposed measure is aligned with the planning principles established under the approved and advancing plans for the creation of a continuous and high-quality built frontage, the strengthening of the public realm, and the preservation of the unique character of the historic town centre.
Although I was not present at the meeting, during the short time the material was distributed to council members, I managed to review the material attached to the meeting agenda prior to the session. As always, I also checked the Planning Administration website, the minutes of the council’s preservation committee, plus a site visit I conducted which raised several troubling findings regarding essential information that was not provided to council members. Good governance requires that council members be provided with all relevant information; otherwise, the vote has no value. This is the information that was not disclosed, either in whole or in part:
1. The land that was expropriated, which belongs to the council till the expropriation is revoked, is land on which the owner has already built. In other words, this is not merely a revocation of the expropriation but also the legalization of a permanent structure that has already been built. This is because when it was built about two years ago, the land still belonged to the council. It also appears that a structure serving as a food track or food preparation place has been erected on the site. It is unclear whether this was done with approval and a permit for both the placement and the use.
2. Another material fact that was not disclosed at the meeting is that the plan, upon which the cancellation of the expropriation is based, was discussed by the Haifa District Planning and Construction Committee. However, I did not find any mention or reference in those discussions for the need to cancel the expropriation. So, on what basis are they now canceling it?
3. Part of the expropriated area is a historic wall that has been designated for preservation. However, a letter from the council engineer provided incomplete information regarding the discussion in the council’s Preservation Committee. It is true that the plan was discussed by the council’s preservation committee. In one discussion, the plan was removed from the agenda at the planner’s request, and in another discussion, the request to return the expropriated land for hotel use was also mentioned. However, the Preservation Committee did not issue a recommendation to return the expropriated land—a hand-drawn sketch without dimensions was attached, which was entirely unclear. The decision of the Preservation Committee was incorporated as if referring to this hand-drawn sketch.
4. The material we received on this matter included only the letter from the council engineer. In my opinion, an opinion from the council’s legal advisor is also required as background for the request to cancel the expropriation and to clarify legal issues.
This week I sent a letter regarding this matter to the council secretary, the legal advisor, and the council engineer. I concluded the letter with the following words: “I would appreciate your review before proceeding with this matter. I am confident that you will not choose to ignore such a fundamental issue and that you will provide me with all the relevant information.”
I will update you in the next newsletter on whether and how they responded. Remember that they are being asked to respond to me as a council member so that the information reaches you, the residents. If they do not respond to me, they are not responding to you, the residents. Ignoring my letter is ignoring the residents.
Second topic: Zamarin Community Center: The appointment of Deputy Council Chair Zila Reshef as chair in place of the Council Chair has been approved; who are the members of the community center’s management, and what is stated in the financial reports for 2024 and 2025?
The Zamarin Association, known to us all as the Zamarin Community Center, is a municipal corporation that oversees a wide range of cultural, recreational, and community activities within its framework. This is a role that, by law, belongs to the Council, which delegates its authority to the Community Center. The following departments operate within the community center: the Culture Department, the Jewish Culture Department, the Senior Citizens Department ("Chtzav" Club), Dance Center, Sports, Clubs, and Leisure Department, Conservatory, Museum, Youth Department, and more.
A municipal corporation is required to operate like a business corporation—it has a board of directors/management. Now, following the approval of amendments to the municipal corporation’s bylaws, the chairperson of the Community Center is Zila Reshef. The Community Center is headed by the CEO, Nitzan Damti, who was selected through a competitive bidding process nearly two years ago and replaced Alon Shnir.
The community center’s management also consists of
- two council members elected by the full council: Netanel Goldberg from the New Covenant faction and Ilan Amrani, who left the 'For the Moshava' faction and joined the coalition.
- 3 public representatives, also elected by the full council: Shagit Dover, Avner Weiss, and Meira Tzuk
- 3 council employees who do not work for the corporation and are also approved by the full council and the Registrar of Corporations: Council Treasurer Avi Hosman, Archives Director Liron Fogel, and Welfare Department Director Fanny Amira.
According to the financial reports of the Zamarin Association, its annual turnover in 2025 stood at approximately 22.5 million NIS. The community center ended 2025 with a deficit of 617,751 NIS. It ended 2024 with a surplus of approximately 183,000 NIS on a turnover of 24.1 million NIS. See this section of the report covering 2024 and 2025. (For most of 2024, the community center was managed by Alon Shnir)
Scope of Activities and cost of activities see in the attached document:https://4zichron.org/media/medaon-89-en-img-3.jpg
Congratulations to the 14th graduating class of Moshava High School and to all high school graduates
Congratulations to the graduates of the 14th class of Moshava High School. We are glad that the events of the war did not disrupt the graduation celebrations. Congratulations also to the graduates of Pelech High School- the religious High School, and the Keshet Democratic School. These are moving moments that will remain in your hearts forever. Go forth and succeed in the army, in pre-military programs, in years of service, and in national service. Go in peace and return in peace.
