Supreme Court Gives New Interior Minister 30 Days to Rule on Haredi Arnona Tax Discounts

By אלי פרוש

Translated & summarized from JDN by baba

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Israel's Supreme Court has given newly appointed Interior Minister Gideon Sa'ar 30 days to decide on conditional property tax discounts for Haredi families. The ruling links discounts to the regularization of their military status. The court also set a 21-day deadline for the Finance and Transportation ministers regarding public transport discounts for draft-eligible individuals. The timing of Sa'ar's appointment has sparked political speculation amid coalition formation talks.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Supreme Court orders new Interior Minister Gideon Sa'ar to rule on Haredi tax discounts within 30 days.
Arnona tax discounts will be conditional on Haredi individuals regularizing their military status.
The court also mandated a decision on public transport discounts for draft-eligible individuals within 21 days.
Sa'ar's appointment follows a vacancy and a missed court deadline for the arnona discount decision.
The timing of the appointment raises political questions amid coalition formation talks.

Supreme Court Gives New Interior Minister 30 Days to Rule on Haredi Arnona Tax Discounts — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

Hours after Gideon Sa'ar was approved as Israel's new Minister of Interior, the Supreme Court issued a ruling on Wednesday demanding he decide within 30 days on the issue of conditional property tax (arnona) discounts for young Haredi couples. The court, led by Deputy President Noam Sohlberg and including Justices Dafna Barak-Erez, David Mintz, Yael Vilner, and Ofer Groskopf, mandated that the minister determine whether and how to amend the arnona discount regulations. The amendment would link eligibility for the discount to the regularization of their status with military authorities.

The court stated that given Sa'ar's recent appointment, it was extending a previous deadline from April 26, 2026, to allow for proper consideration. The appointment of Sa'ar comes after a prolonged period without a dedicated Minister of Interior, following Moshe Arbel's resignation. The original deadline set by the court for a decision on the arnona discounts had passed during this vacancy, despite Prime Minister Netanyahu's commitment to appoint a minister before the elections.

The timing of Sa'ar's appointment, coinciding with coalition talks between Haredi parties and the "change bloc," has raised political questions. Some speculate that Netanyahu may be using the appointment to pressure Haredi factions regarding their potential support for a government not led by him. Others suggest it is merely to fill a vacant ministerial post, but the timing is noted as significant.

In a related matter, the Supreme Court also ordered Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Transportation Minister Miri Regev to decide within 21 days on public transportation discounts for individuals obligated to military service who have not regularized their status. The court further requested an update by January 2, detailing criminal enforcement actions and cooperation between military and police forces, emphasizing the importance of equal and general conscription as mandated by law.