Minister of Housing and Construction Ariel Atias today warned that 800,000 Israeli homes are in danger of collapse in an earthquake.

Recent devastating earthquakes in Haiti and Chile have put Israel's vulnerability and lack of preparedness for earthquakes back on the public agenda. Atias was addressing the Knesset Internal Affairs and Environment Committee headed by MK David Azoulay (Shas), which discussed National Outline Plan 38 for reinforcing buildings at risk of earthquake damage.

Atias said, "National Outline Plan 38 has failed in terms of results. It is our obligation to provide incentives that are more available, simple and worthwhile. We cannot come out of this with our hands clean. The subject of peripheral regions is especially painful and so far all the plans have not taken into account the periphery as needing protection against earthquakes."

Two months ago the government approved allowances for National Outline Plan 38 to encourage the real estate market to adopt the plan. The Ministerial Committee for Internal Affairs and Services headed by Interior Minister Eli Yishai decided to extend the plan by five years and increase the building rights permitted as part of National Outline Plan 38.

The Ministry of Housing and Construction recommends that buildings in prosperous cities in the center of the country should be allowed to add half a floor as part of National Outline Plan 38, and two and a half floors in disadvantaged locations in central Israel. The Ministry of Housing expects this measure to increase the number of protected apartments to 425,000.

Sophie Eldor of the Ministry of Housing said, "Bet She'an, Safed and Kiryat Shmona are especially sensitive and at high risk. We will work to strengthen 70,000 apartments there."

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on March 8, 2010

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