Search Results

Jerusalem, 1 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Ministry of the Interior said that, in 2025, the balancing grants amounted to a record amount of approximately 3.74 billion Shekels ($1.15 billion), as part of what it described as “the new balancing formula designed to correct historical distortions, deepen transparency, and strengthen the budgetary certainty of Local Authorities,” within which 300 million Shekels ($94 million) were added to the budget base for the distribution of balancing grants.

This as, towards the end of the budget year 2025, and after approval by the Knesset Finance Committee in the last hours of the year, the ministry transferred “record amounts” in funding to local authorities, including balancing grants, development grants, indemnity grants to authorities that were damaged during the Rising Lion war with Iran, and other special grants.

As part of the development grants to local authorities, approximately 1 billion Shekels ($310 million) and approximately 500 million Shekels ($156 million) in ongoing grants were transferred to authorities in a wide variety of areas (over 150 million Shekels, cumulatively, grants for the localities within the borders of Judea and Samaria, over 80 million Shekels to regional councils, over 80 million Shekels for budgeting housing incentives, and approximately 50 million Shekels for budgeting and developing bathing beaches, etc.).

The Ministry of Environmental Protection continues to strengthen the preparedness of local authorities for climate change. After supporting dozens of local authorities with a sum of approximately 44 million ₪ over the past three years. The Ministry publishes a new, dedicated Call for Proposals for authorities in the Arab Sector with a total sum of 15 million ₪ for promoting shading, as part of Government Resolution 550 (Hebrew), regarding the Economic Plan for Reducing Gaps in the Arab Sector until 2026.

Idit Silman, Minister of Environmental Protection: “The Ministry of Environmental Protection invests in green infrastructure that will strengthen local authorities and the public. Through these investments, we turn the challenge into an opportunity, for healthier lives, a sustainable environment, and more resilient and pleasant cities for all citizens of Israel“.

The support is intended to reduce heat loads in the urban space, improve the quality of life for residents, and strengthen the climate resilience of local authorities in the Arab sector.

Climate change brings with it direct challenges to the daily lives of all residents of the State of Israel, including extreme events such as floods, extreme heatwaves, and forecasts of exacerbation in the coming decades. Therefore, the Ministry of Environmental Protection is currently engaged in a series of initiatives and new support programs for local authorities.

This Call for Proposals will assist authorities in planning and implementing tree planting and shading solutions, as part of the preparations for the warming of the urban space. Trees create essential green infrastructure that reduces heat loads and contributes to public health, improved quality of life, and the stimulation of local economic activity.

The Ministry’s support, totaling 13.5 million ₪, will be provided for the planning and execution of tree planting in the urban space. Concurrently, the Ministry will support an additional 1.5 million ₪ for professional guidance and training for the authorities.

The authorities eligible to submit support requests are municipalities and local councils from the Arab, Druze, Bedouin, and Circassian sectors (included in Government Decisions 550, 716, 717, 1230, and 1279) with more than 10,000 residents – which have prepared or are in the final stages of completing a Climate Change Preparedness Plan approved by the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

Deadline for Submission: December 07, 2025.

Prime Minister Netanyahu in a meeting with heads of local authorities in the North: “They refer to it as “Tuscany”, but this came before Tuscany. It’s the Land of the Bible, the land of our heritage. We are going to develop the Galilee in leaps and bounds”.

After opening the school year at the Begin school in Nof HaGalil, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held today (Monday) a meeting at the municipality building with heads of local authorities in the North, along with acting Director-General of the Prime Minister’s Office Drorit Steinmetz and the Coalition Whip MK Ofir Katz.

Taking part in the meeting were Nof HaGalil Mayor, Ronen Plot; Afula Mayor, Avi Elkabetz; Migdal HaEmek Mayor, Yaki Ben Haim; Tiberias Mayor, Yossi Nava; Karmiel Mayor, Moshe Kuninsky; the appointed head of municipality for Nazareth, Yaakov Efrati; and head of the Jezreel Valley Regional Council, Shlomit Shichor Reichman.

Prime Minister Netanyahu at the conclusion of the meeting :

“I’m here on the first day of the school year at Nof HaGalil. Look at the magnificent view. I went to the first grade, and I was so excited to see the children, the teachers, the assistants and the principal. They are quite simply doing sacred work. It’s wonderful to see the children. They are coming and starting their life.

We know, however, that we have other important missions. The most important mission, in a sense, has been completed, because on this day, here in the Galilee where there was great exit of people in the beginning of the war, there is now a great return.  95% of the Galilee children have returned for their school studies, including in the communities adjacent to the border. This is a tremendous achievement, just tremendous. And it was accomplished owing also to the resilience of the Galilee residents and the local authority heads. They stood their ground, they received the residents and helped them, and now in fact everything is being restored.

We talked a lot here about the things that need to be done for the Galilee: adding fast transportation lanes, adding construction, removing bureaucracy, adding infrastructure, employment. I want young couples to come here; they refer to it as “Tuscany” but it’s not really Tuscany — it came before Tuscany, it’s the Land of the Bible, the land of our heritage. There are wonderful things here. God willing, we are going to develop the Galilee in leaps and bounds”.

Jerusalem, 24 July, 2025 (TPS-IL) — The Authority for the Advancement of the Status of Women in Israel’s Ministry of Social Equality is launching a pilot program designed to enhance the place and influence of women in the local and community arena.

The goal of the pilot: Providing tools, resources, and guidance to women in local authorities – with the aim of expanding their circles of influence in the areas of public leadership, the economy, and community resilience.

Out of 149 authorities that responded to the call for applications, 42 authorities were selected to participate in the pilot – and receive a rich support basket within a total budget of over NIS 10 million.

Among the program’s components are a comprehensive needs mapping process and the construction of a strategic work plan for the local authority, the establishment of houses and centers for female leadership, the construction and operation of local women’s councils, and a variety of workshops that will deal with public leadership, business entrepreneurship, personal resilience, economic management, and self-defense.

Jerusalem, 10 July, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Ten municipalities in Judea and Samaria switched this month to purchasing discounted electricity from private suppliers, with a cumulative savings of over 1.5 million Shekels ($440,000) per year. Israel’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure has been promoting a privatization and competition program in the electricity market in order to reduce costs for the consumer.

In addition to reducing costs, the project also includes a unique component of building energy storage facilities on local authority properties. The contractors who win the tenders will install the facilities, generate profits from them – and share them with the local authorities.

With the completion of the process, 18 out of 25 municipalities in the Judea and Samaria cluster have now signed agreements with private electricity suppliers – a figure that indicates a significant regional trend in the field of local energy.

The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure currently supports and finances the activities of 11 energy managers in 11 regional clusters across the country. The managers serve as a professional knowledge hub for authorities, enabling them to optimize electricity consumption, promote renewable energies – and take advantage of the advantage of scale in negotiations with suppliers. All this while providing professional tools and support that in most cases are not available to small authorities independently.

Due to the continued war with Iran, and in order to improve the process of assisting residents whose homes were damaged and deemed uninhabitable, the Director General of the Ministry of Finance, Ilan Rom, the Chairman of the Federation of Local Authorities, Haim Bibas, and the Director of the Tax Authority, Shay Aharonovich, decided to expand the existing procedure. This procedure allows local authorities to place residents whose homes were damaged by acts of war in hotels and receive reimbursement from the Israel Tax Authority’s Compensation Fund for the evacuation expenses. The maximum period of hotel accommodation has now been extended from 7 days to 14 days.

According to the procedure, A local authority employee from the engineering department who has been authorized by the head of the authority may determine that a home is uninhabitable based on the criteria detailed in the Property Tax Law (mainly structural damage to the building’s frame, foundations, or supporting walls, and damage to water supply, electricity, or sewage systems that cannot be repaired within 24 hours), and may evacuate the residents to a hotel. The Compensation Fund of the Tax Authority will Compensate the local authority for the evacuation costs.
During the initial evacuation period, if it is not possible to return to the damaged home, the claimant must file a direct damage claim and indicate therein the need for alternative housing. From the end of the evacuation period onward, alternative housing will be funded directly by the Compensation Fund. This may take the form of hotel accommodation, rental reimbursement, or a monthly grant of  4,000 NIS for those staying with relatives.

The updated procedure also states that seven days after the evacuation, the local authority will submit a reimbursement form to the Compensation Fund, which will transfer payment for the initial 7-day evacuation period, along with a 90% advance payment for the remaining 7 days. Additionally, the procedure clarifies that blast damage resulting in the destruction of a large number of windows will also be recognized as rendering a home uninhabitable.

Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich: “The decision to decentralize responsibility for evacuating residents and to grant the local authorities the authority and tools to act was the right and necessary one, and it continues to prove itself during this time as well. The updated procedure we are presenting today is part of a broader approach that emphasizes flexibility, rapid response, and adaptation to needs on the  field. As I told the heads of local authorities, the State of Israel stands behind them and will continue to provide full financial backing for their efforts on behalf of their residents. The Israel Tax Authority and the local authorities are working in full partnership, with dedication and professionalism, and I thank each and every employee on the field. We will continue to accompany the process, update it, and improve it constantly – to ensure a quick, accurate, and appropriate response for the citizens of Israel.”

Director General of the Ministry of Finance, Ilan Rom: “This decision reflects our strong confidence in local authorities and our commitment to providing a rapid and effective response to citizens, tailored to their needs. We are maintaining ongoing communication with local authorities to identify needs and provide assistance wherever possible, especially given the evolving circumstances and their many implications. I thank all those involved in the joint efforts between the Ministry of Finance and local government, and I appreciate the employees who are stepping up and working day and night to assist and provide a sense of certainty for affected citizens.”

Haim Bibas, Chairman of the Local Government Center: “Due to the sustained security situation, we have taken steps to ensure a rapid and effective response for residents whose homes were damaged by missile fire from Iran. The expansion of the procedure, which we led together with the Ministry of Finance and the Israel Tax Authority, to enable residents to evacuate to a hotel for up to 14 days, is a significant step toward ensuring residents’ well-being and our ability to provide them with immediate assistance, relief, and a sense of security during these difficult times. We listened to what was happening on the ground and ensured that every resident whose home was damaged and rendered uninhabitable would be eligible for hotel evacuation. The heads of local authorities are in the field, deeply familiar with the needs of their communities at every moment. In cooperation with government ministries, we will continue to deliver a swift and professional response to every resident in need.”

Tax Authority Director, Shay Aharonovich: “I would like to thank the Director General of the Ministry of Finance and the Chairman of the Local Government Center for their partnership in formulating this important procedure, which enables a faster and more efficient response to the needs of the population affected by the missile strikes from Iran. The Compensation Fund’s employees are working day and night to provide the best possible assistance. However, at the end of the day, nothing can replace the local authorities’ familiarity with their residents and their ability to deliver an immediate and effective response. At this time, the key to addressing the challenges we face lies in deepening and streamlining the collaboration between central and local government.”

Jerusalem, 10 June, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Interior Minister Moshe Arbel on Monday conducted a professional working visit to the city of Beit Shemesh – a suburb of Jerusalem located to its west – as part of the ministry’s policy to strengthen local authorities and accompany cities in a growth and development momentum.

During the visit, the Minister was impressed by the city’s accelerated development and the planning, transportation, and social changes that have taken place in recent years. The Minister held a professional working meeting with the participation of Mayor Shmuel Greenberg, Deputy Mayor Itzik Elmaleh, the municipality’s management, the Director of Local Government Administration, Tomer Biton, and the ministry’s management.

At the meeting, the mayor presented the main challenges facing the municipality in light of the significant demographic growth – foremost among them the urgent need to upgrade infrastructure, expand services for residents, and promote housing solutions.

The mayor emphasized the importance of including the city in the national master plans, which will allow it to promote sustainable development processes and provide the city’s residents with quality service tailored to their needs.

By Pesach Benson • January 20, 2026

Jerusalem, 20 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The Israel Land Authority (ILA) on Tuesday demolished the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) headquarters in northern Jerusalem, the central headquarters from which the embattled agency’s activities for Palestinian refugees in Judea, Samaria, and Jerusalem were managed.

“Although UNRWA’s official activity in the area was terminated about a year ago, the compound remains occupied by squatters and local officials who were illegally present there, and today’s enforcement action puts an end to the illegal possession of the property,” the ILA said.

UNRWA is banned from operating in Israel, and Israeli officials are prohibited from cooperating with the agency.

“Now that the land is returning to state management, the Authority emphasizes that the Authority will work to promote its planning and development with the aim of marketing it for the benefit of the Israeli public. There is a historic building in the compound: the ‘Police School,’ which is marked as a building for preservation, and the Authority will work to preserve it as part of the future planning of the area,” the ILA added.

In December, police raided the 11-acre compound and raised an Israeli flag over it. Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Arieh King confirmed to The Press Service of Israel at the time that the move was in response to several years of unpaid property taxes and to collect intelligence on who was operating the facility.

The ILA added that it would soon move against another UNRWA compound in eastern Jerusalem’s Kafr Aqab neighborhood.

“This is a historic day, this is a holiday, and this is a very important day for the governance of Jerusalem. For years, these terror supporters have been here, and today these terror supporters are being driven out of here with everything they built here. That’s what will happen to any terror supporter,” said Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir.

On January 15, Israeli authorities shut down a UNRWA-run health clinic in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City.

UNRWA has been under fire for years, with Israeli officials demanding the agency be stripped of its authority in Gaza and defunded amid revelations that members of the agency’s staff participated in Hamas’s October 7 attacks. Despite Israeli, U.S., and some European opposition, the U.N. General Assembly in December voted to extend UNRWA’s mandate for three more years.

Palestinian refugees are the only refugee population with its own dedicated UN agency. The rest of the world’s refugees fall under the mandate of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Around 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken captive by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. The body of Israeli Police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili is the last remaining in Gaza.

Jerusalem, 19 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — In a crackdown on tax-evaders in northern Israel, authorities seized 12 vehicles and uncovered illegal weapons overnight, the tax authority and Israel Police said.

Raids took place in the areas of Nazareth, Illut, and Yafia.

During the operation, police recovered a Carlo-type automatic weapon and packaged ammunition after a suspicious object was thrown from a suspect’s home.