Tax Authority Director Shay Aharonovich sent a scathing letter to Bnei Brak Mayor Hanoch Zeibert on Thursday, ordering the suspension of war damage claims in the city after Tax Authority employees were attacked earlier that day.
According to the letter, Tax Authority employees were violently assaulted by a mob numbering in the hundreds on the afternoon of July 16 while carrying out enforcement activities in the city.
“Tax Authority employees who had arrived in the city to carry out enforcement activities were violently attacked,” Aharonovich said in the letter.
Videos shared online showed a crowd surrounding the officials as stones and other objects were hurled at their vehicle and at police officers at the scene.
The employees were rescued by police.
'Tax Authority employees are not welcome in your city'
“In light of the above, I can only conclude that Tax Authority employees are not welcome in your city,” Aharonovich said.
Aharonovich said he had instructed the Compensation Fund to immediately suspend the handling of claims for damage caused during operations “Rising Lion” and “Lion’s Roar” until the municipality publicly and unequivocally condemns the attacks through haredi media outlets, including newspapers, radio stations, news hotlines, and other channels.
The letter also referred to an earlier violent attack by Bnei Brak residents against Tax Authority employees on Wednesday, July 8.
The Bnei Brak Municipality has yet to condemn the violence in either case.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who oversees the Tax Authority, strongly condemned the July 8 attack in a post on X, expressing his full support for Tax Authority employees and calling for the rioters to face the full force of the law.
“I strongly condemn the violence perpetrated today against Tax Authority personnel by lawbreaking thugs in Bnei Brak,” he said. “Such violence against law enforcement officers, who carry out their duties faithfully and professionally, cannot be tolerated.”