Calcalist, Dotan Levy 28.10.20

The Tel Aviv municipality will put out to tender land in Givat Amal, in which it has rights to two 160-apartment towers, Calcalist has learned. There are still 48 families living in the area, who have not yet been evacuated and compensated, and they are now afraid of selling the land to a third party, entrepreneurs who are working to maximize profits.

According to the agreement between the municipality and Yitzhak Tshuva, which was signed in 2013, the person who is obligated to compensate the residents is Teshuva through Elad Residence, and a condition for the construction of four towers, out of seven towers in the neighborhood, is the residents' compensation. But in the past year, Tshuva sold Elad Residence to the JTLV fund, and then sold the plots separately to the Hajjaj and Damari companies.

Apart from the issue of compensation, a major criticism against the municipality is its choice to sell the land at the highest possible price, instead of promoting affordable housing for families living in the area or obliging the buyer to compensate the residents already at the time of sale.

Givat Amal residents angry: About six months ago, the district court ruled that all residents living in the neighborhood today have legal rights to the land. Instead of striving for an agreed and respectful solution with its residents, the municipality chose to go out to tender and escape with the loot. Recently, the residents of Givat Amal filed lawsuits against the state and the municipality. "

The municipality responded: "The municipality has partial rights in the plots along with the rights of private owners, and the rights cannot be separated. The proceeds from the sale of the rights will be used by the municipality for public purposes. The responsibility for compensation and evictions of landowners applies to the Elad Group."