War Compensation Appeals Halted Over Dispute With Tax Authority
Property tax appeals committees halted work on 10,000 war compensation appeals worth 5 billion shekels, citing a payment dispute with the Israel Tax Authority.
Property tax appeals committees have notified the Ministry of Finance of a strike, halting work on approximately 10,000 pending appeals regarding war compensation. The total financial scope of these delayed cases is estimated at 5 billion shekels.
The committees announced that they are suspending operations until their compensation terms and employment conditions are fully resolved. Members stated that the Israel Tax Authority, which is a party to the proceedings under committee oversight, has imposed strict limits on working hours for each individual case.
Structural Conflict of Interest
In their formal appeal to the treasury, the committee heads emphasized that mechanical limits on preparation hours contradict judicial independence and case complexity. "Committee members manage legal cases with cumulative financial scopes in the billions of shekels while receiving low compensation of about 200 shekels per hour," they stated. Furthermore, the State Comptroller previously identified a structural conflict of interest, as the compensation fund remains a direct party to the appeals while simultaneously influencing committee administration.
"We cannot accept a model where the scope of preparation hours is dictated mechanically, regardless of the volume of material or the legal complexity of the appeal," committee members stated in their address to the Ministry of Finance.
Ministry of Finance Response
In response, the Ministry of Finance stated that it allocates all necessary resources to ensure citizens receive compensation efficiently. The treasury noted that it had already agreed to increase preparation hour quotas following previous discussions, criticizing committee heads for withdrawing from agreed terms.
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Total pending appeals: ~10,000 cases
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Total financial scope: ~5 billion shekels
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Hourly rate reported: ~200 shekels per hour
The Ministry of Finance called on committee heads to resume sessions immediately to prevent severe delays for the public awaiting compensation decisions.
