Residents of South Tel Aviv are protesting in front of the municipality over the non-evacuation of Central Station
(Photo: Assaf Zagrizak)
According to the outline, bus traffic was to move to alternative terminals, one of which is located in the Panorama complex in the city. Against the background of opposition from residents who live near the compound, and are represented in the local coalition, the Tel Aviv Municipality withdrew from the agreements due to an “urban nature site that exists in the area.”
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“Require to breathe clean air.” Demonstration by residents of South Tel Aviv
(Photo: Moti Kimhi)
Michaeli: “Proud to announce that Tel Aviv Central Station will be evacuated”
(Photo: Spokeswoman for the Minister of Transportation)
Days before the final signing of the agreements, and after tens of millions of shekels were invested in planning and preparing the evacuation – the municipality blew up the outline that was agreed. In the meantime, the Ministry of Transportation’s hourglass is running out, because in order for the station to be vacated at the end of 2023, it must notify the NSA by the end of the month of the termination of its contract with it.
Environmental organizations, for their part, are disregarding the urban nature site that the municipality claims to have discovered in the area. According to a source in the Ministry of Transportation, the same “nature site” is a man-made kurkar pit, which is filled with rains every year. A number of environmental organizations, including “Green Trend”, “Nature and Law Man”, “Clear”, “Life and Environment” and others, have shunned what they call the “excuse of the municipality”.
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“Demand to walk the streets without fear.” Demonstration by residents of South Tel Aviv
(Photo: Moti Kimhi)
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(Photo: Moti Kimhi)
“The stumbling block that has been brought to our attention is a site marked as urban nature in the master plan, which is only 10% larger than the planned terminal,” the organizations wrote to Transport Minister Michaeli. “.
The organizations also presented data from the Ministry of Environmental Protection, according to which in the vicinity of the central station there are significant deviations from the environmental values allowed by law, with some indices being 30 and 60 percent. “Data from the Ministry of Health and the HMOs in the area show that there is a significant excess morbidity in diseases, whether cancer, respiratory diseases or cardiovascular diseases, respectively, due to the aggregate infection,” they wrote.
Ynet Studio: The central bus station in Tel Aviv was evacuated, and no one informed the business owners
(Photo: Nadav Abbes, Shachar Goldstein)
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(Photo: Moti Kimhi)
The initiator of the letter, CEO of the “Green Trend” organization, Elad Hochman, said that “we are addressing Sarah Michaeli directly – the blame for not closing the station will fall on your head.” You choose to be. Use your full influence and authority to meet your obligations to close the serious transport, environmental and social hazard in Israel. Any other action will be further proof to us that you are a partner in a road that has lost its values, “Nothing between them and ‘urban nature’.”
A government source told Ynet that “it is clear that the evacuation was stopped at the political level of Mayor Huldai.” “It’s not just a kurkar pit, but the reasons are unknown to us and we were surprised after investing a lot of resources,” he said. The municipality claims that the existence of the municipal nature site has been known since 2012, but the government ministries claim that the municipality was a partner in the work teams, and even issued an order that allowed asphalt to be scattered on the site.
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“The blame for not closing the station will fall on Michaeli.” CEO of Green Trend
(Photo: Green Trend)
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(Photo: Moti Kimhi)
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transportation defines the announcement of the termination of the contract with the Central Station – when there is no alternative area due to opposition from the municipality – as irresponsible, because they claim it means the cancellation of 40% of bus service in the Tel Aviv area.
The women’s organizations also protested the procrastination after the agreements had already been reached. The organizations “Adva Center”, “My Sister”, “With You from Acre” and others also contacted the Minister of Transportation, Merav Michaeli. “The central station and the area around it have been notorious all over the country for decades,” they claimed. “Every few months we are informed of a murder, rape or sexual assault that has taken place in the area. Drugs and alcohol are observed in every corner.
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“Do what responsible and humane leadership needs to do.” Michaeli
(Photo: Abigail Uzi)
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“Can do the right thing.” A rat
(Photo: Moti Kimhi)
“The Central Station itself is in a state of constant neglect. Whole floors that are not functioning, dark corridors without adequate lighting, alcohol bottles and drug syringes thrown on the floor, filthy toilets located in dark and hidden areas and more. ‘And centers for violence, assault and sexual harassment against women.’
The organizations demanded that the minister keep her promise “to the women – the elderly, the girls and the girls – who are expected to arrive at Central Station with no choice.” According to them, “as long as the central station stands and functions – women will continue to be afraid to walk the streets of south Tel Aviv. To prevent the next sexual harassment, crime and rape – the new central station needs to be evacuated. “.
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“The folding of Michaeli and Huldai endangers our lives.” Chairman of the headquarters of the struggle for the evacuation of the station
(Photo: Yaron Sharon)
Meanwhile, residents of south Tel Aviv gathered tonight for a demonstration in front of the municipality. Shula Keshet, chairman of the struggle headquarters for the evacuation of the station, said: “The folding of Michaeli and Huldai from the agreement is not only embarrassing, but endangers our lives. We are demonstrating today demanding that we be released from this threat once and for all. We demand to breathe clean air, we demand to walk around the streets without fear. We demand the basic security to travel to work in the morning without risking our lives. “She added:” Michaeli and Huldai – keep your promise and do what responsible and humane leadership should do – evacuate Central Station. “
Gadi Tunes from the struggle headquarters said that “there are residents in the south of the city as well and they deserve to live, even if they are not from Huldai’s milieu.” “When a rat prefers a pit in the ground that no one has heard of, over the lives of the residents and the health of their children – he proves that 23 years is too long a term for office, and impairs decision-making and his ability to continue as mayor.”
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“Even in the south of the city there are residents and they also deserve to live.” Capricorn from the struggle headquarters
(Photo: Struggle Headquarters at Central Station)
Tunes added: “A rat can choose whether to do the right thing and be remembered as the one who cleared the biggest hazard in the city’s history, or be remembered as the one who ended his tenure as a detached man who did not see his constituents and left them to their fate.”
Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality Response: “We are constantly attentive to the residents of all neighborhoods and their representatives, when in any case – the well-being of the city’s residents will continue to be at our forefront. The date of evacuation of the transportation terminal from the new central station And other public issues, the planning is re-examined by the Ministry of Transport, which has announced that in this given situation the plan is not feasible, so a final outline has not yet been formulated.
“It is a pity that the Ministry of Transportation is busy with accusations, instead of finding an effective and practical solution. As is well known, each lot has unique characteristics and complexities, and must be planned. The existence of an urban nature site in the Panorama terminal area has been known since 2012.
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