Justice minister said to agree to freeze tough penalties for illegal construction

Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn has agreed to freeze a law stiffening penalties against illegal construction, according to Hebrew media reports.

Arab Israelis have fought hard against the 2017 legislation that they say disproportionately targets them.

Known as the Kaminitz Law, the amendment gave the government increased enforcement powers including on demolition and eviction orders, and substantially increased the use of financial penalties against offenders.

Opponents of the legislation say that it disproportionately impacts Arab Israeli towns, where illegal building is common due to a lack of government-granted permits. The Adalah rights group argues that the Kaminitz Law “fails to take into account the decades of systematic discrimination in state land planning and allocation against [Arab Israelis] that has resulted in a severe housing crisis in Arab towns and villages.”