Jerusalem, 8 November, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Supreme Court Justice Alex Stein rejected a petition by four Gaza border communities seeking inclusion in the government’s Tekuma recovery program following the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre.
Talmei Eliyahu, Sde Nitzan, Tsohar and Ohad, located 7.5 to 8.5 kilometers from the Gaza border, were excluded because the program covers communities within seven kilometers. The four communities argued that their exclusion was discriminatory, noting that they suffered severe security, social, communal, and economic damage, were evacuated after October 7, and faced lengthy reconstruction.
They also challenged the legislation’s adoption of a purely geographical eligibility criterion.
Stein acknowledged the communities’ severe losses but ruled that there were no grounds for judicial intervention. He emphasized that courts must exercise exceptional restraint when reviewing primary Knesset legislation and avoid effectively rewriting policies adopted by lawmakers.
