Tax Authority Halts Operations in Bnei Brak After Staff Assaulted by Ultra-Orthodox Crowd

The chairman of the State Employees Union, Attorney Ofir Elkaly, announced an immediate suspension of Tax Authority activities in Bnei Brak following an attack on tax inspectors by a large group of ultra-Orthodox residents. The incident occurred during a routine inspection in the local business area, where a crowd gathered around the inspectors. Within minutes, dozens of ultra-Orthodox individuals began throwing stones, eggs, and other objects at the inspectors' vehicle, causing significant damage. Police forces arrived and managed to evacuate the inspectors safely.

Elkaly stated that the decision to halt operations was made due to a serious concern for the safety of the Tax Authority employees, who will no longer enter Bnei Brak to provide services. The day after the attack, Tax Authority Director Shai Aharonovitch informed Bnei Brak Mayor Hanoch Zeibert that he had ordered an immediate stop to processing war damage compensation claims for residents affected by recent Iranian attacks named "With the Lion" and "The Roar of the Lion." The two officials are scheduled to meet at the mayor's office to attempt to resolve the crisis.

Naftali Bennett, chairman of the "Together" party, condemned the situation, saying, "This is what chaos looks like: Israeli state employees refuse to enter a city in Israel to do their jobs out of fear for their lives. I do not recall anything like this."