Stand for Israel

Owning a home in Jerusalem has been an eons-old dream for millions of Jews throughout history. About 9,000 of them who’ve fulfilled that dream are really irritating the mayor of Jerusalem, though.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat has sent a letter to nearly 10,000 Jews–mostly American or French–who own apartments in Jerusalem but neither live in them full-time nor rent them out, leaving them empty most of the year except for when they visit (most often at the pilgrimage festivals of Shavuot/Pentecost, Passover, and Sukkot/The Feast of Booths).

Residents of the Holy City have long complained that absentee owners drove up real estate prices (since they earn higher salaries outside of Israel, don’t pay sky-high Israeli income taxes, etc., and can therefore pay above-market prices) and have turned many once-vibrant neighborhoods into virtual ghosttowns. These include not only new luxury developments like David’s Village just outside Jaffa Gate and the Old City walls, but also established ones like Rehavia and Talbiah, whose streets are now unusally sleepy except during holidays.

Barkat’s letter laments other economic costs incurred by what he called “ghost residents”:

An empty apartment means fewer buyers at local kiosks, fewer children in schools, fewer customers in cafes and most importantly, fewer young families living in Jerusalem. Nine thousand such apartments [according to the Jerusalem Municipality's figures] cause growing damage to the city’s economy and housing market.”

Barkat asked homeowners living abroad to rent out their apartments to students or young families when they’re not in town.

These are the problems that come along with fulfilling a two-thousand-year-old dream — and running it.