Compulsory medical treatment – but who will pay?
Compulsory medical treatment – but who will pay?
The demolished buildings: between hope for renewal and a financing trap
In the midst of a period in which rocket barrages have become routine, many of the buildings that were damaged throughout Israel – especially in old areas – have been or will be demolished. Some were built in the 1960s and 1970s, without a standard protected space (MPS), and the apartment owners look to their future in the hope of an evacuation-and-build project or government assistance that will restore their roof over their heads. But there is a fundamental problem that the state has yet to provide a real solution to: building new apartments requires an additional MPS – and this involves a high cost. This is a legal requirement – not a permit – so even when the state participates or the developer is willing to build, the cost of building the MPS falls between the chairs.
The heavy cost of a mandatory upgrade
A building that is demolished and rebuilt according to the 2025 regulations requires the construction of a drywall in each apartment – even if there was none before. But drywall is not drywall – it costs 100–200 thousand NIS per unit , depending on the specifications, area, floor, and quality. So who is supposed to pay for it?
- The state? Has not yet committed.
- The developer? Only if the project is financially viable – which doesn't happen in a market saturated with unsold apartments and declining yields.
- The apartment owner? Why should he pay for the "improvement" that was forced upon him after a disaster?
Reclamation ≠ Compensation: On the one hand, a roof, on the other, an expensive obligation
The requirement for a municipal building creates a paradox: the new apartment is upgraded and protected – but the improvement is forced on the injured party . In a normal case, such an addition is considered a "privilege". Here, it is a regulatory requirement, which makes compensation problematic:
How can you talk about "rehabilitation value" if you are not getting an apartment back with matching specifications but are required to "finance the upgrade"?
Call for an immediate solution: a dedicated fund to finance battalions
In the current security reality – and one that is expected to worsen – the state must establish a dedicated funding fund to fully finance the construction of shelters in reconstruction projects after war damage. Whether through property tax, the Ministry of Defense, or the Ministry of Housing – it is not the role of the family that was rescued from a missile – to finance its next defense.
Bottom line: Without funding for the MMAD – there is no real rehabilitation
Urban renewal after damage is a necessary step, but without a clear solution to the issue of the construction sites – any promise of evacuation-construction or a rehabilitation TAMA will collapse in the face of critical funding constra
