The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel has criticized the country's Interior Ministry for its plans that threaten Israel's open spaces.

The annual report by SPNI on threats to open spaces has said that the planning administration is threatening the country's open spaces to promote narrow interest of select groups instead of the common good of people of the country. The report said that the plans compromise the protection of open spaces in Israel.

The report noted that the treats to open spaces have increased by 75 percent during the previous four years due to plans for various types of construction projects. It said that during 2012, it recorded 119 such threats to open sources including five projects that involved new communities, roads and energy facilities.

There are threat of expansion of the Western Galilee city of Ma'alot into natural woodlands and a new road in the Halutza dunes in the Negev. Other new projects that are likely to threaten open spaces includes a planned desalination plant in dunes south of Rishon Letzion, oil exploration off the shore of Herzliya and Ashdod as well as infrastructural development near Mount Carmel.

The Interior Ministry responded by saying that it doubts that SPNI report represented the interests of the public.