A class action lawsuit was filed in the Administrative Court in Beer Sheva against four religious councils - Ashkelon, Ashdod, Karmiel and Kiryat Yam - for an estimated amount of 3.6 million shekels.
According to a report by Yaeli Yaakovi-Handelsman in Israel Hayom, the request - submitted by attorney Valeria Flexberg - alleges that during a burial that is supposed to be free, an illegal collection is being made in connection with the burial or the foundations of the tombstone.
The claim is that this is an act that is contrary to the law, the State Comptroller's report, the Knesset's Labor and Welfare Committee, and the guiding principles of the courts.
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It should be noted that some religious councils do not collect the payment directly from the families, but rather collect it through the tombstone contractors.
The petition states that the councils demanded or received payment in connection with the burial and the erection of the tombstone, directly or indirectly, while exploiting the distress of mourners at their most difficult time. "The respondents did so in violation of the law, regulations, the respondents' licenses, their contracts with the National Insurance Institute and the directives of the Ministry of Religious Services, as a matter of policy.".
The application claims that those who filed the class action lawsuit are relatives of deceased people who were responsible for bringing their loved ones to the cemetery. In this context, each of them individually approached these religious councils to perform the burial services for them free of charge, in accordance with their legal rights, but the respondents demanded payment from them for the "foundation of the grave" (or another name they found for it), in complete violation of the law, either by themselves or through others.
Attorney Eliezer Rodin, representing the Religious Council in Karmiel, said in response: "The Religious Council in Karmiel respects the families in their difficult time, and acts with great sensitivity in all matters concerning the burial and funeral of the deceased.".
""The cemetery staff and the administration in Karmiel emphasize the dignity of the deceased and their loved ones during this difficult time in their lives, and treat them with respect, sensitivity, and understanding. The religious council acted according to the regulations, and did not collect the 600 shekel fee from the grieving families. The collection is done legally by the tombstone contractors.".
The Kiryat Yam Religious Council stated: "The council has received the lawsuit. It is studying it, and will respond to the substance of the claims in the court proceedings.".
The Ashkelon Religious Council stated: "The Religious Council works according to the instructions of the regulators (i.e. the Ministry of Religious Services and National Insurance). Therefore, the Council never collects and has never collected money for its tombstone foundations from families.".
The Ashdod Religious Council stated: "The request will be studied in depth.".
