(haipo) On Monday, 05/10/2026, a demonstration was held in front of the Engineering Director's building on 3 Bialik Street in Haifa, with many residents coming to protest against the discussions of the Planning and Building Subcommittee. The demonstration took place in parallel with the discussion held at 23 Margalit Street, and reflects the growing sense of frustration among the neighborhood's residents in light of what they call "unlawful construction" and significant deviations from the municipal policy document. They claim that the municipality is promoting the construction of 6.5 floors on 23 Margalit Street, even though the policy document for the neighborhood sets a construction ceiling of only 5.5 floors. The residents claim that this is a serious violation of the neighborhood's character, infrastructure, and quality of life.
The Shambor neighborhood is located on the southern and western slopes of Mount Carmel and is bordered by Moriah Boulevard to the east, the Carmelia neighborhood to the north, and David HaCohen Square (Kiryat Sefer Square) and Nahal Azov to the south.
The demonstration: residents take to the streets
The demonstration began in the afternoon, when residents carried signs calling on the municipality not to approve the construction plan for 23 Margalit Street. They claimed that the municipality is not enforcing the policy it itself has set, and that contractors in the neighborhood are building beyond what is permitted without a response from the supervisory authorities. “Come, help us, make your voice heard for the future of the neighborhood,” read a call distributed by residents before the demonstration.
According to them, the decision to approve construction of 6.5 floors at Margalit 23 is just a symptom of a broader problem: a lack of consistency between the policy document and the decisions of the planning committees. The residents emphasize that the court has already ruled in the past that the construction ceiling in Shambor is 5.5 floors, but despite this, the municipality continues to promote plans that deviate from the policy.
Margalit 23 Project: The Heart of the Controversy
At the heart of the struggle is an evacuation-reconstruction project at Margalit 23, where a two-story, four-apartment building is set to be transformed into a modern structure with 13 residential units spread over about seven floors. For the neighborhood's residents, this is a dramatic change that is inconsistent with the historic character of Shambor.
The 2020 municipal policy document defined Shambor as a texture conservation area, where the building ceiling is limited to 5.5 stories. The restriction is intended to preserve the landscape texture, the old forests and the narrow streets that characterize the neighborhood. But the district appeals committee approved the increase in height, arguing that there are already tall buildings in the immediate area, and that a tall, narrow building would better protect the old trees on the lot.
Residents: “This is a dangerous dam breach”
Residents see this decision as a dangerous precedent. They argue that once one 6.5-story building is approved, it will lead to a wave of similar projects in the neighborhood. “If a situation occurs where projects with more floors and housing units than what was determined by the municipality are approved, it means that we will all have more traffic jams in the morning and a burden on all infrastructure,” said Gidi Lederer, a neighborhood resident who was among the organizers of the demonstration.
He said that residents are not opposed to urban renewal, but demand that it be done in accordance with the established rules. “We cannot accept a situation where the municipality itself does not require developers to adhere to the policy document that the municipality itself adopted.”
Infrastructure burdens and concerns about harm to quality of life
Residents warn that massive construction on the narrow streets of Shambor will create excessive traffic congestion, severe parking shortages, and strain on the outdated sewage and drainage infrastructure. They claim that the neighborhood is not prepared to absorb the new number of residents that will be added as a result of large-scale eviction and construction projects.
Local environmental activists join the residents’ claims and emphasize that the high-rise construction also harms the neighborhood’s green landscape. “Shambor is a unique neighborhood,” said one activist. “It has old groves of trees, low-rise construction, and a historical fabric that must not be damaged.”
Council member Blitzblau: “The fight is for quality of life”
Green Party council member Motti Blitzblau arrived at the demonstration and spoke with residents before entering the committee hearing. He said the fight is not against urban renewal, but against unreasonable deviations from policy.
“What is behind the policy document?” asked Blitzblau. “We want to be able to strengthen each of the buildings in the neighborhood, but not in a pig-like manner. As soon as one of the buildings has 8 floors, it means that there is damage to the infrastructure and there is an increase in the traffic loads that already exist in the neighborhood. That is why we are fighting for 5.5 floors at Margalit 23 and not to break the policy document.”
Tissue Preservation: The Heart of the Struggle
One of the central issues in the struggle is the preservation of the texture of Shambor. The neighborhood was designated as a conservation area due to its unique character: low-rise construction, narrow streets, old groves of trees and buildings of historical value. Residents fear that high-rise construction will create “concrete walls” that will block the view, harm the open air and make the neighborhood dense and suffocating.
They argue that once one building above 5.5 stories is approved, it will lead to a chain of similar projects. “It’s a dangerous precedent,” said one resident. “We want to keep the neighborhood the way it is.”
Gaps between the policy document and the conservation survey
The root of the crisis lies in the gaps between the municipal policy document and the 2019 conservation survey. While the policy document defined the neighborhood as a site for texture conservation, the survey did not mark some of the lots as such. This gap created a planning loophole that allowed appeals committees to approve height deviations in “special and justified” cases.
Residents claim that this loophole is being exploited repeatedly, and that in practice the policy document has become nothing more than a recommendation. “The rules that were meant to protect us are being flexed in favor of real estate development interests,” said one protester.
Residents: “The municipality does nothing against contractors who break the law”
Beyond the Margalit 23 project, residents claim that there are other contractors in the neighborhood who are building beyond what is permitted, and that the municipality is not taking action against them. They note that this is a widespread phenomenon, and that more significant enforcement by the municipality is needed.
“We see buildings being built beyond what is permitted,” said a neighborhood resident. “The municipality is doing nothing. It’s not just Margalit 23, it’s a general problem.”
The municipality's response
The municipality stated that the local committee is expected to discuss the request today, and will examine all relevant considerations, including recommendations from the city engineer and the arguments of the opponents, before making a decision.
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Margalit Street, the Yarkon River and the surrounding area have become a forest of concrete and high walls without hope. A passerby can't even peek between the houses to see the view. Every mansion is becoming like this. It's time to escape. After all, there's nothing here except walls.
This is what you chose… this is what you got. Don't complain. Apartment prices have already started to crash due to the flood of apartments due to the crazy multipliers that the developers are receiving. Soon a total crash of apartment prices.. all over the country.
The biggest lying industry is approving the demolition of buildings that meet earthquake standards and do not require reinforcement at all.
Lies that have been adopted in the rulings of the judicial system!!
See Kiryat Sefer Street and its continuation Disraeli. They are building concrete monsters one after another. Even so, the narrow streets are clogged with schools and traffic. From project to project, parking spaces for two cars or guests and service personnel are not available. We lived in a pleasant and quiet environment and find ourselves in the heart of a busy and noisy maze with a window looking out to the window and a hidden view. The main thing is that the contractors make a profit and the property tax has grown. We don't hang around the city halls and influence... the developers do. Where are the city departments whose job is to plan and consider welfare and balance? The outgoing mayor, an architect by profession, blocked such a rampage. And today, all the Dallin men.
The same exceptions also exist in Ramot Remez!! 10-story buildings block the entire sea. ! Isn't the exception in Ramot Sapir enough? Haifa is a city with views and an open sea, so it's not necessary to erect high-rise buildings in the heart of the neighborhoods.
Unusual construction, is this acceptable? The words unusual construction already embody a violation of the law.. or are there no more laws?
A 30-story skyscraper is about to be built on Brenner Street!!! It will be a barrier to all the buildings in Ramot Remez and the Almogi neighborhood, and it certainly won't be the last building.
And there is no infrastructure, all the narrow roads are dilapidated and full of potholes, there are no sidewalks and there is no care for the well-being of the residents.
Do we have to wait 25 years until they finish clearing the construction...??? And until then we'll be left with no sidewalks, no cleaning, no grass, no food, and no playgrounds?
😍We are always told in "Haifa" about "social struggles" for the "environment" (theirs!) in the "luxury neighborhoods"...!!!
* What is happening with the "crime that is taking over" in the "ordinary neighborhoods" and preventing "normal people" from living a "normal life"???😭