Paz Pines bill protecting Kinneret beaches to undergo hearing in plenum

By JPOST.COM STAFF
The Knesset's Legislation Committee decided Sunday to support a bill that would include the Kinneret (the Lake of Galilee) in the Beach Preservation Law. The bill was forwarded by Labor MK Ophir Paz-Pines and will be voted in a preliminary hearing in the plenum this week. The bill includes free public access to the beaches of the Kinneret and would restrict potential harm to its beaches. It would also limit construction on the beaches to a distance no closer than 300 meters from the water. "The condition of the Kinneret's beaches necessitates regulation. Closing public beaches for private use, overpricing entrance fees, building in the beaches and using them for any purpose not in the public's benefit - all these call for immediate supervision over building and use of the Kinneret's beaches," he said. "The [Beach Preservation] law was passed to protect the Mediterranean and was recently amended to include the Red Sea beach. The principles outlined in the law are applicable to other beaches in Israel and there is no reason that the Kinneret would not enjoy the same protection," he added.