A significant milestone has been reached in the effort to bring Shabbat-compliant electricity to Lod's Ganei Ayalon neighborhood. Israel Ozen, director-general of Israel's Interior Ministry, has signed off on a land-use permit under Section 188 of the Municipal Ordinance, clearing the way for leasing the plot where an energy storage facility will be built to supply residents with electricity on Shabbat and Jewish holidays.
The approval marks a breakthrough after nearly two years of legal and regulatory obstacles. The municipality first submitted the permit request to the Interior Ministry in July 2024, and later selected Enlight as the contractor through a municipal tender. Although the contract with the city was signed in October 2025, implementation stalled pending Interior Ministry authorization.
Recent months saw intensified efforts to break the impasse. Legally, the process was led by Rachel Elbaz, deputy legal counsel for Lod Municipality, who worked directly with the Interior Ministry to satisfy all legal requirements. Simultaneously, attorney Yossi Blum, who has managed the project on behalf of the neighborhood for the past six years, approached Deputy Mayor and Shas faction chairman Benny Sitalchil for assistance. Sitalchil engaged directly with Interior Ministry Director-General Ozen, who personally intervened and ultimately authorized the permit.
Despite this progress, the project is not yet operational. Additional regulatory approvals from the Israel Electric Corporation are still required before construction and activation of the system can proceed.
Deputy Mayor Sitalchil called it "a day of great joy for the residents of Ganei Ayalon and all of Lod. After prolonged bureaucratic delays, we have broken through." He thanked Mayor Yair Revivo, the Interior Ministry director-general, Shas chairman Aryeh Deri, Knesset member Yaakov Asher, and municipal deputy legal counsel Rachel Elbaz.
Mayor Revivo also welcomed the development, saying: "After years of effort, great news has arrived. I am happy this is happening in Lod, the city of the Tannaim. The connection between innovation and Jewish law will bring real good news, and I am proud this is happening here in our city."
