Sweet Drink Tax Repealed but Prices Remain Elevated in Israel
How 4 Israeli newsrooms covered this story — translated into English and compared side by side.
By אדריאן פילוט
First reported by Now 14 · Aug 12, 2026
What happened
Israel's sugary drink tax, introduced in 2021 and repealed in 2023 under ultra-Orthodox political pressure, led to higher prices that did not fully revert after repeal. Consumption dropped significantly during the tax and remained below pre-tax levels even after repeal. The tax also generated nearly 900 million shekels in revenue in 2022, but its removal cost the state over a billion shekels annually and partially undermined health goals.
- 01Sugary drink tax raised prices sharply in 2021, but prices stayed 23% higher after 2023 repeal.
- 02Producers passed full tax cost to consumers and did not fully reduce prices after repeal.
- 03Consumption of sugary drinks fell nearly 12% during tax and remained 6% below pre-tax levels after repeal.
- 04Ultra-Orthodox sector showed largest consumption drop and smaller rebound post-repeal.
- 05Tax shifted consumption from regular to diet sodas, with regular cola down 11.7% and diet up 3.5%.
- 06Tax generated about 900 million shekels in 2022; repeal cost state over 1 billion shekels annually.
Summary translated & synthesized from the sources below by baba. Read each original for the full report.
Full coverage · 4 outlets
The same event, reported separately by each newsroom. Open a few to compare what each emphasizes — and what they leave out.
