Tourism Minister Avraham Hirshson told the Knesset Finance
Committee that the government decided to postpone tabling a
bill to open casinos in Israel.
He said personally he supports the idea but agrees that the
government should not make a decision on the matter before
the next elections and asked the Finance Minister as well not
to raise the plan before the government until after the
elections.
Last week dozens of MKs from Labor, Shas, Degel HaTorah,
Agudas Yisroel, HaIchud HaLeumi and Chadash signed a letter
urging the government not to set up casinos in Israel and to
reverse plans to present a casino plan to the socioeconomic
cabinet.
According to the letter gambling addiction is no different
from drug addiction and "a government that tries to make easy
money through a casino will eventually pay a heavy price in
welfare spending. Experience shows casinos are quickly taken
over by criminal elements, cause illicit industries to sprout
up around them and are liable to cause severe social
damage."
MK Ofir Pines (Labor), who organized the opposition to the
casino plan, praised the decision, saying the government came
to its senses and realized there is no place for a casino in
Israel. He also said the proponents claim casinos would boost
tourism but the good of Israeli citizens should take priority
and a casino would cause social decline among Israeli
citizens and lead to personal catastrophes.
