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NEWS
The Knesset Passed a Law Taxing Keren Kayemet-JNF
by Yated Ne'eman Staff
After an exhaustive hearing filled with speeches from the Opposition, the second and third reading of the law taxing Keren Kayemet was approved in the Knesset plenum this past Monday. It was passed with a large majority of 95 votes vs. 12.
The law maintains that the Jewish National Fund will be able to choose its own settlement whereby it will be exempt from standing taxes according to the law, governing the years 2018 through 2020, so long as it notifies the Tax Bureau and the Land Authority not later than January 10th, 2018, if it decides that 65% of the payments which the Land Authority is supposed to pay the Jewish National Fund or someone representing it, will be transferred to the Government. It was also suggested that the sum which the Authority will transfer to the government shall be an expense conditional to the income and will be used for national projects determined by the law of annual budgets.
Chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee, Rabbi Moshe Gafni, who promoted the law in the committee, presented it to the Knesset plenum and said, "Why is it that someone living in Ofakim, Shderot or Shlomi is required to pay taxes and the JNF not? I was certain that until I reached this moment, I would be asked to withdraw the bill for some agreement would be arrived at between the government and the Fund. The position of the committee members was that in any case, there is a need for a law which will not show favoritism to the JNF. We are not a country just being established now. Seventy years ago, it applied, and even sixty years ago it was valid. But today? If it is because of their contribution to the State, I maintain that whoever lives in the arava, the northern border or the settlements by the border, is contributing to the State no less."
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