Construction of a massive Israeli military base in the Negev was suspended for an environmental review.
Beersheba District Court issued a stay Wednesday halting construction work at the Israel Defense Force training complex planned for the Negev Junction. The move followed a petition by green groups who argued that the base, being sited close to an area notorious for pollution, would endanger troops.
Negev residents see the project as a means of injecting new funds into their impoverished district.
The current IDF training complex sits on choice land outside Tel Aviv wanted by the Defense Ministry.