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Israel: Netanyahu requests income tax refund

June 23, 2020 at 12:39 pm

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has requested a refund of income taxes worth millions of shekels paid to the state between 2009 and 2017, local media revealed yesterday.

Netanyahu’s Office Director-General Ronen Peretz formally requested the tax refunds from the Finance Committee in the Knesset, the Jerusalem Post reported.

Peretz asked for the repayment of the money for services and benefits, excluding paycheques and pensions, for the period between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2017.

The paper reported the Ministerial Liaison to the Knesset David Amsalem telling the Knesset that Netanyahu had been taxed unfairly in a manner that was not applied to any of his predecessors.

READ: Netanyahu can’t be trusted, nor can Benny Gantz

“The tax authorities have changed the rules,” Amsalem was reported saying. “The prime minister is not really getting a single shekel.”

Yair Lapid, head of Yesh Atid-Telem party, was reported by the newspaper saying: “Shame is dead and we are watching the funeral.”

Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman added: “In a time of crisis, leadership must present a personal example. Instead, what we are getting is a loss of shame.”

“The prime minister is asking for benefits and tax returns of more than a million shekels, instead of cutting ministers salaries. Netanyahu and [Defence Minister Benny] Gantz care only about themselves and not about the needs of the public.”