Israeli Interior Ministry Warns Bnei Brak Over Tens of Millions Shekel Deficit

The Israeli Ministry of Interior has issued a stern warning to the Bnei Brak municipality regarding its severe financial deficit. According to a letter from Zvika Einbinder, the Interior Ministry's Tel Aviv district supervisor, to Mayor Hanoch Zeibert, the city faces a current budget deficit of approximately 49 million shekels as of the first quarter of 2026. This follows an 80 million shekel deficit recorded at the end of 2025. The ministry demands that Bnei Brak take immediate steps to reduce the deficit and prepare for budget cuts, requiring the city to convene and approve a balanced budget for 2026 by October 11, 2026.

Until the budget is balanced, the ministry has imposed restrictions on the municipality, including freezing all requests for personal contracts and salary upgrades, and approving only essential expenditures. The letter emphasizes that failure to achieve budgetary balance soon could lead to further, more severe measures that would impact the city's management flexibility, hiring, and budget framework.

The financial scrutiny comes amid revelations of controversial spending, including a reported daily budget of about 3,000 shekels for the mayor's hospitality, totaling around 800,000 shekels annually. In response, Bnei Brak officials stated that the letter was sent without coordination with city management and assured that the city expects to end the year with financial balance within the approved budget. They also highlighted ongoing large-scale infrastructure and sanitation projects worth hundreds of millions of shekels, conducted under recent budgetary controls. The municipality is reviewing the letter's details and will respond formally to the Interior Ministry.