Tax Authority Suspends Operations in Bnei Brak Following Violent Attacks on Inspectors

The Israeli Tax Authority has frozen its activities in Bnei Brak after tax inspectors were violently attacked by dozens of ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students during routine business inspections last Thursday. The assault, which caused significant damage to the inspectors' vehicle, ended with police intervention. This incident marks the second violent attack on Tax Authority employees in Bnei Brak within a week.

In a letter to Bnei Brak Mayor Hanoch Zeibert, Tax Authority Director Shay Aharonovitch condemned the attacks and criticized the municipality for failing to issue a clear public denunciation of the violence. He instructed employees to halt all work related to war damage claims in the city until an unequivocal condemnation is published in the ultra-Orthodox media.

The Histadrut labor union also joined the response, with State Employees Union Chair Ophir Elkaly ordering an immediate shutdown of Tax Authority offices in Bnei Brak and banning employees from entering the city for work purposes. Elkaly emphasized the serious and ongoing security risks to employees, calling for urgent systemic measures from the Tax Authority and relevant authorities to ensure worker safety.

The attacks occurred in the Kiryat Vizhnitz neighborhood, where inspectors from the bookkeeping management unit were conducting standard audits. The escalation has raised concerns about the safety of government workers in Bnei Brak, one of Israel's largest ultra-Orthodox cities, and the need for decisive municipal and law enforcement action.

The Tax Authority and Histadrut await a formal condemnation from the Bnei Brak municipality before resuming operations, highlighting tensions between state institutions and segments of the ultra-Orthodox community regarding enforcement activities.