Farmers in Gaza Envelope Challenge Government Over Broken Compensation Agreement
Following the severe impact on agriculture in the Gaza Envelope after October 7, including closed military zones, abandoned foreign workers, and rocket fire on fields, local farmers have taken their fight to Israel's Supreme Court. Nearly three years after the conflict began, farmers from communities near the Gaza border filed a petition against the Property Tax Authority and the Ministry of Agriculture. They claim the government promised a special compensation framework for damages but later reneged without official explanation or decision.
Initially, the state offered a unique compensation plan that did not require proof of damage, encouraging farmers to continue cultivating their lands despite ongoing hostilities. The farmers submitted claims through a computerized system that automatically calculated compensation amounts. However, after claims were submitted and advances paid, the Property Tax Authority abruptly withdrew from the agreement, rejecting claims on grounds of lacking causal proof and damage, contradicting the original framework.
A key piece of evidence in the petition is a recorded conversation where a Property Tax Authority representative admits the "pink track" compensation plan is no longer being paid, calling it an unjustified "excessive compensation." The petitioners also allege intense pressure and threats from officials to accept significantly reduced settlements or risk receiving no compensation or having to return advances already paid.
The farmers argue that instead of a uniform and fair mechanism based on a preset formula, compensation negotiations became arbitrary, depending on individual bargaining power, economic status, and the official handling the case. Despite repeated requests to the Tax Authority and Ministry of Agriculture to honor the agreements, the farmers received no substantive response, prompting the Supreme Court petition.
The petition, filed by attorneys Nir Rosner, Carmel Barakat, Asaf Bergman, and Boaz Pinberg, demands the court compel the government to enforce the signed agreements and pay the promised compensation under the "pink track." They also seek a conditional order requiring the state to explain its alleged breach and the reported coercion to forfeit compensation rights. The Tax Authority stated it will respond through legal proceedings, while the Ministry of Agriculture emphasized its commitment to agricultural rehabilitation and called for implementing the agreed frameworks, noting the petition targets the Treasury and Property Tax Authority, not itself. Nonetheless, the ministry is involved as a respondent and shares responsibility for the compensation framework.
