Degel HaTorah MKs Condemn Tax Authority's Suspension of Bnei Brak War Damage Claims

Members of the Knesset from the Degel HaTorah faction sent a strongly worded letter on Monday to Shai Aharonovitch, head of the Israeli Tax Authority, criticizing his decision to freeze compensation claims for residents of Bnei Brak affected by the recent conflict. The suspension followed an incident of violence against tax authority employees in the city during the war. While the MKs firmly condemned any violence against public servants, they sharply criticized the authority's response as collective punishment targeting the entire community due to a single event.

The letter accuses the Tax Authority of making an arbitrary decision influenced by incitement against the ultra-Orthodox population and questions whether similar sanctions would be applied to other cities or sectors under comparable circumstances. The MKs highlighted that numerous complaints about delays in processing claims had already been submitted before the violent incident, suggesting the authority is using the attack as a pretext to cover ongoing failures.

They demand that Aharonovitch immediately reverse the suspension, avoid political considerations, and restore public service to the war-affected residents of Bnei Brak. Notably, senior Tax Authority officials visited Bnei Brak's municipality the previous evening to discuss and resolve the issues.

Summary: Degel HaTorah MKs condemned the Israeli Tax Authority's decision to halt war damage compensation claims in Bnei Brak after an attack on its employees, calling it collective punishment and demanding the decision be reversed immediately.