Holyland (apartment complex)
The Holyland Case, named for the Holyland Park building complex in Jerusalem, Israel, was a high-profile corruption case in which top Israeli officials were charged with bribery and money laundering, among them former Israel Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and former Mayor of Jerusalem Uri Lupolianski. Of the 13 defendants, three were acquitted and ten, including Olmert, were found guilty.
Holyland Towers is a complex of luxury apartment buildings in Jerusalem, along Highway 50, 3.3 km (2.1 mi) South of the old city. The developer is Hillel Cherny. Before construction began in 1995, it was the site of Holyland Hotel (Eretz Hatzvi Hotel) and the open air Holyland Model of Jerusalem, now located on the grounds of the Israel Museum. When the old hotel was torn down, an archeological survey revealed a Bronze Age burial ground.
The initial plan was to replace the existing hotel with a larger one. This plan was later abandoned in favor of constructing residential housing, which required rezoning. It was the re-zoning process that led to bribery charges.
The 60-dunam (60,000 m2; 0.023 sq mi) plan includes a total of 1200 apartments. So far, one skyscraper and seven apartment towers have been built. Holyland Tower 1 (2009), a 121 m (397 ft) high building with 32 floors, is the highest building of Jerusalem. A similar Tower 2 is projected. In the same complex are Holyland Park Tower 1 to 7 (2004–2009), each 52 m (171 ft) with 15 floors. The Park Towers are connected by air bridges. The architecture is by Carmi Architects, Spector-Amisar, Tishby-Rozio Architects, and Moshe Zur Architects and Town Planners.
The buildings are visible from most places in the city. Critics have said they are ugly and intrude on the city skyline.
In 1996 the journalist Yoav Yitzchak claimed that Hillel Charney, the developer of the project, had obtained a false assessment of the value of the land, which had substantial tax benefits. Based on guidance from the Attorney General, a criminal investigation was launched against the Commissioner of Income Tax, Doron Levy, and his deputy Udi Barzilay. The police investigation did not result in prosecution, but forced Doron Levy to resign. A Disciplinary Committee by the Board of Valuers, which operates as a disciplinary court, opened proceedings against the assessors who were involved in the conspiracy. The two assessors were convicted.
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