Haifa mayor calls on government ‘not to be stingy’ with funds for citizens whose homes are hit by missiles

By Sam Sokol 18 June 2025, 1:37 pm

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Sam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"

Haifa mayor Yona Yahav seen at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem as he arrives for a court hearing about the closure of the ammonia tank in Haifa, April 4, 2017. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav calls on the government to “not be stingy” in providing funding for citizens affected by Iranian missile strikes, adding that “only 50 percent of residences [in his city] are protected.”

Addressing lawmakers in the Knesset Internal Affairs and Environment Committee, Yahav says that the government should “not be stingy with money and not repair unstable houses but to demolish them and build according to new standards.”

Yahav’s remarks came during an urgent discussion between local leaders, lawmakers and government representatives regarding support for affected citizens, including alternative housing and welfare and economic support for families.