The Land Policy and Land Use Research Institute

The Land Policy and Land Use Research Institute of Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund closed down in 2018, with the establishment of KKL-JNF Chief Scientist Unit. During its years of operation, the Institute enjoyed full academic freedom, and was active in seven chief fields of endeavor:

1. Research

Academic and public research on national land policy, planning and local policy, at both the macro and micro levels. The Institute invited researchers from academic and professional bodies to submit proposals on land policy and land use.

2. Research Grants

The Institute assisted researchers at Israeli universities and colleges, and is the acknowledged body for the study of land policy and land use. The Institute coordinated the academic and public discourse on local and national land issues, and promoted MA and doctoral dissertations in these fields.

3. The Israel Land – Policy Forum

The Institute maintained Israel's foremost forum on all questions of national land policy and varied aspects of land use. The Forum numbered some 500 people and convenes periodically in Jerusalem. It consisted of prominent figures involved in the formulation and implementation of national land policy and local land use: Ministers, MKs, mayors, academics, members of the liberal profession, planners, executives and so on.

Every Forum session was devoted to a key land-policy issue, and concluded with specific recommendations. The discussions and recommendations were published in separate pamphlets and distributed to national and local decision-makers.

4. The Karka Journal

The Institute published Karka (Hebrew for earth), which appeared every few months (three to four times a year) and was the main communicative organ for land policy and land use. Its contributors were top public and academic figures. The journal was regarded by academic institutions as a valuable reference.

5. Publications

The Institute also published special works related to its fields of interest: summary pamphlets on the Israel Land-Policy Forum sessions; studies commissioned or sponsored by the Institute; and books on land policy.

For information about access to the institute's publications, please use the  KKL-JNF public inquiries form.

6. Jerusalem Conference on National Land Policy

The Conference was held once a year at the Jerusalem Theater. The first time it convened, in June 2001, it drew an audience of some 600. The topics discussed at the yearly conference appear in the Karka publication, which is available from the Institute.

7. Annual Seminar on Institute Studies

At this day-long seminar, the Institute showcased its studies on national land policy and alternative land uses. The seminar first took place in February 2001, and was attended by people from academic, the professional and public sectors.

Selected studies and surveys conducted for the Institute and/or with its assistance or participation:

  • The Economic Value of Israel's Open Spaces / Dr. Aliza Fleischer, Prof. Yacov Tsur, Tal Bar Orion

  • Is Public Ownership of Land Still Desirable? / Dr. Eliyahu Boruchov, Prof. Eliya Werczberger

  • Non-Agricultural Land Uses in the Rural Sector / Daniel Morgenstern, Dr. Michael Sofer; Consultant: Prof. Yehuda Gradus, Dr. Mina Tzemah

  • The Rise, Fall and Revival of Tourism in Israel's Resort Towns / Prof. Arie Shachar, Prof. Yossi Katz, Dr. Noam Shoval, Dr. Kobi Cohen-Hattab

  • Placement Aspects of Undesirable Public Facilities / Prof. Avinoam Meir, Prof. Yehuda Gradus, Hagit Yahel

  • Israel's Beduin – A Society in Transition / Dr. Joseph Ben David

  • Formulating Land Policy for Israel's Agricultural Sector since Early Statehood and the Initial Functioning of the Israel Lands Administration / Dr. Michal Oren-Nordheim

  • Managing and Planning Tourism Policy in KKL-JNF Forests / Prof. Nurit Kliot, Avital Korman

  • Establishing Commercial Centers in Israel's Rural Space / Gil-Ad Arama

  • Israel Lands Administration Tenders and their Effect on Land Values and Allocations / Prof. Yacov Tsur, Dr. Israel Finkelstein, Taniv Rofeh

  • National Land Policy in Israel and around the World – A Comparative Study / Prof. Gideon Biger, Dr. Amnon Kartin

  • Public Attitudes towards Compensating Kibbutzim for Rezoning Lands that they had Used for Agriculture / Dr. Mina Tzemah

  • Process of planning legislation and building in the context of planning and various programs / Dr. Anat Bar-Cohen

  • Structural changes in the Carmel Beach area: land use and employment / Esther Cohen

  • Land ownership and urban development / Prof. Yuval Portugali, Dr. Talia Margalit

  • Stages in development of land policy of the Jewish National Fund

  • The impact of changes in the cooperative system of the kibbutz and the moshav according to the nature of land use / Prof. David Grossman, Prof. Michael Sofer

  • Expectant enterprise as a turning point for planning discourse in Israel / Naama Katz -Ben Shushan