Former Israeli PM Bennett's Claim on Taxpayer Payouts Verified
A recent analysis has confirmed claims made by former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett regarding the net financial benefit different household sectors receive from the state. Bennett stated in a social media video that non-Haredi (non-Orthodox Jewish) families pay approximately 6,000 shekels more to the state than they receive in services, while Haredi families receive about 4,000 shekels more than they pay.
The verification stems from a study titled "On Taxes and Wonders" by the Kohelet Forum for Economics. The study calculates "net transfers," which is the total value of services and transfers received from the state minus the taxes paid by households. According to the study's primary calculation, which excludes general public goods like defense and national infrastructure, non-Haredi Jewish households have a negative net transfer of 6,114 shekels per month, meaning they pay more than they receive. Conversely, Haredi households have a positive net transfer of 4,137 shekels per month, receiving more than they pay.
This initial calculation indicates a monthly gap of roughly 10,000 shekels between Haredi and non-Haredi Jewish households in their net financial relationship with the state. The study also examined Arab households, which showed a positive net transfer of 1,027 shekels per month.
When the calculation is adjusted to include estimations of public goods and national infrastructure, based on household consumption or income, the figures change but the overall disparity remains. In these adjusted models, non-Haredi Jewish households either show a smaller deficit or a slight surplus, while Haredi households continue to receive significantly more than they contribute, maintaining a gap of around 10,000 shekels per month compared to non-Haredi households.
The analysis concluded that Bennett's figures were largely accurate based on the specific methodology used in the Kohelet Forum study, validating his assertion about the differing financial exchanges between these demographic groups and the state.
