JERUSALEM (JTA) — The Knesset approved an Israel Lands Authority reform bill that allows people to own rather than lease their property.
The reform, which will restructure the authority, was approved Monday on the second and final readings by a vote of 61 to 44.
Under the measure, people can own their property rather than lease it for 99 years.
The vote nearly split the ruling coalition.
Labor lawmakers voted for the bill after a compromise party leader Ehud Barak and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached a compromise in which the land privatization will be divided into two steps, with a team of ministers examining the reform, Ynet reported.
