High Court Rejects Hadera Bid to Block New Light Aircraft Airfield Hearing
The High Court of Justice rejected a Hadera municipality petition to block a planning hearing on a new light aircraft airfield meant to replace the Herzliya facility, amid local environmental concerns.
The High Court of Justice has rejected a petition filed by the Hadera municipality seeking an interim injunction to block a National Planning and Building Council hearing regarding the establishment of a light aircraft airfield in Hadera, intended to replace the existing facility in Herzliya.
The municipality argued that the state was attempting to fast-track the planning process amid political uncertainty, bypassing professional objections and alternatives. Last Monday, the council announced the hearing. By Thursday, Hadera and the local committee filed a petition, and by Friday, the request for an interim injunction was denied. Justice Yechiel Kasher ruled that the court does not typically intervene in planning proceedings prior to a final decision, noting that holding the discussion would not cause irreversible damage.
Historical Background and Opposition
The struggle against the airfield project in eastern Hadera dates back to 2017. In 2018, Hadera was selected as an alternative to Herzliya, prompting a legal challenge in 2019 by the municipality and the Menashe Regional Council over a lack of public participation and environmental concerns. In 2020, the High Court ordered the National Infrastructure Committee to re-examine the alternative. Although planning authorities initially shelved the project in 2021 following professional objections regarding environmental corridors and safety issues near the Ein Shemer airfield, the initiative was revived in 2024.
Municipal and State Responses
Legal counsel for the Planning Administration, Efrat Brand, stated that Hadera was marked in the outline as a placeholder without a precise location, and that all environmental and infrastructural impacts will be thoroughly evaluated. Planning authorities rejected accusations of political maneuvering during a transitional government, emphasizing that the council's recommendation does not bind the government's final decision-making authority. Hadera Mayor Nir Ben Haim vowed to continue fighting the project through public, planning, and legal channels.
