BICOM

Protests against conditions in the housing market in Israel continued yesterday, after protesters rejected a series of measures announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address the crisis. Netanyahu’s plan includes offering incentives to contractors to build smaller apartments, and housing for students. The plan would allow contractors and land developers to purchase land from the Israel Land Administration (ILA) at attractive prices – up to 50% cheaper – if they agree to build small apartments. The plan would also promote the construction of 10,000 housing units earmarked as student housing, nationwide. Protestors dismissed the plan as an attempt to placate student demonstrators, while failing to address the broader crisis in the housing sector.