Israel granted a tax exemption on fuel, in the amount of NIS 167 million, to UNRWA and other anti-Israel bodies • One of the reasons: No criteria were set for revoking the exemption
UNRWA activity
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AP
Israel grants a tax exemption on fuels, amounting to NIS 167 million, to UNRWA and other anti-Israel organizations. Some of those bodies whose exemption is granted are affiliated with terrorist organizations and support the boycott movement on Israel. This is according to data revealed here for the first time.
According to data provided by the Tax Authority in response to Lavi's request for freedom of information, in 2020-2015 Israel approved a tax exemption for UNRWA for 66 million liters of fuel, at least 49 million of which were transferred to the Gaza Strip. Security and Finance There are no criteria for denying the exemption from anti-Israel organizations;
Indeed, in the years surveyed, no organization was denied recognition.
As first reported in "Israel Today" about three months ago, government ministries and the tax authority refused to provide the data for security reasons, but due to Lavi's petition to the court, they changed their position and agreed to provide the information. About half of the state's revenue comes from excise tax. Fuel, tobacco and alcohol, the stated purpose of which is to reduce consumption of products. Various international organizations enjoy an exemption from the payment of excise tax, based on a temporary provision whose original purpose is to facilitate aid organizations operating in Judea and Samaria and the Gaza Strip.
In practice, some of the organizations that receive the exemption for aid activities promote anti-Israel activity.
For the past six years, UNRWA, the United Nations agency intended to assist "Palestinian refugees," has been exempted from paying excise duty in the amount of NIS 164 million.
About 90 percent of the amount, about NIS 143 million, reflects about 50 million liters of diesel that entered the Gaza Strip since 2015. The balance of the exemption was given to UNRWA for the purchase of gasoline or diesel in the Jerusalem area.
At the same time, the "Lutheran World Federation," which accuses Israel of "colonial apartheid policy," received an exemption worth about NIS 2.1 million in the years 2019-2016.
To illustrate, the Deaconess and the Monetary Committee - two other ecclesiastical organizations that, according to the NGO Monitor, have an extreme ideological-theological charge against the State of Israel - are cooperating with organizations linked to the Popular Front terrorist organization.
In recent years, the organizations have received exemptions from taxes in the amount of more than NIS 100,000.
"Israelis are discriminated against"
The Ministry of Defense referred to the Ministry of Finance, which responded: "We will not comment."
Lavi said: "It is not possible for Israeli aid organizations, such as MDA, to be discriminated against and not receive an exemption from excise duty, while international organizations, some of them anti-Israel, receive gifts from the State of Israel."
