Israeli Supreme Court to Hold Hearing on the National Priority Areas (NPA) Case tomorrow, 14 November 2022
On Monday 14 November 2022, 9:00 a.m. Jerusalem Time, the Israeli Supreme Court will hold a hearing on a petition filed by Adalah– The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel and The Arab Center for Alternative Planning, demanding that Arab towns and localities in the "northern triangle" region be included in "National Priority Areas" (NPA), making them eligible for housing, construction, and land development benefits.
CLICK HERE to read about the petition
The three-justices panel consisted the Supreme Court Chief Justice Esther Hayut, justice Uzi Fogelman and justice Yael Willner.
In April 2021, the Supreme Court issued an “order nisi”, finding that the petition was legally based and that state must answer as to why the government’s decision is lawful. The upcoming hearing will concern the state’s objection to the order nisi. Since the order was issued, the government has repeatedly extended the validity of the Government Decision which the petitioners are challenging, as the different members of the coalition could not reach an agreement on a new policy. The Supreme Court has granted several delays requested by the state before this current hearing, due to the State’s claims that efforts were being made to reach a new decision.
On 7 November 2022, the Court rejected the state's request for an additional postponement of the hearing due to the dissolution of the government and the Israeli Knesset, following Adalah’s objection to the request.
The petition was initially filed on 6 August 2020 on behalf of all Arab local authorities in Wadi Ara and 74 area residents, in cooperation with the Public Committee for the Defense of Land and Housing in Wadi Ara, the petitioners' own localities, the local councils of Umm al-Fahem, Baqa al-Gharbiya, the Ara-Ar’ara, Kfar Qara, Ma'ale ‘Iron, Basmah and Jatt, and the communities of Umm al-Qatif, Misar, and Al-‘Iryan which have not received “National Priority Area” (NPA) designation, despite their low socio-economic ranking.
Case Citation: 5510/20, Umm al-Fahm Municipality et al v. Israeli Prime Minister
