City council member: Abolish the tax intended for 'businessmen's wasteful celebrations''

October 25, 2021   

The Bnei Brak City Council overwhelmingly approved the proposal by Mayor Avraham Rubinstein to impose "maintenance taxes" on city residents for the coming years. Employers can receive a financial incentive of up to NIS 22,250. How? Enter Obeying the 'Torah': Where can I get vaccinated without the need for an appointment? On the other hand, council member and Likud chairman in the city, Yaakov Wider, opposed and demanded that the tax be completely abolished, claiming that it does not exist in most authorities in Israel, including in the cities neighboring Bnei Brak. According to Wider, "There is no reason why this unnecessary tax should be levied in Bnei Brak, where property taxes are among the highest in Israel and the level of service to residents is among the lowest in the country." The 'maintenance fee', which was first levied during the Second Intifada, was established to strengthen security due to the terrorism that was rampant at the time. However, over the years, the Ministry of the Interior has overturned the decision and authorized local authorities to abolish the tax from residents, in the absence of justification for this. During the Corona period, additional authorities joined in abolishing the tax, and today most authorities in Israel do not collect it from residents. Yaakov Wider, a member of the city council, strongly attacked the demand to impose the tax at the council meeting, saying: "This is not a maintenance fee, but a robbery fee." He added: "Putting money into the pockets of residents is intended for one purpose only - to cover up the wasteful celebrations and the graft of municipal officials.".