You stopped at the gas station, put the nozzle in the car and the numbers start running up.
You look into your vehicle.
A baby chair, a pack of diapers, honey, milk, eggs, some vegetables.
On your phone, you scroll past yet another high-tech conversion ad, maybe stop for a second to read, it's still hard to raise two children in Israel.
The pump stops, you look at the price, filter out a curse and stop to answer the only question where you still have an impact on your life: with acceptance or without acceptance.
Suddenly a man who was hiding behind the pump jumps out at you, "Sir, madam, please take 50 shekels from me", "Why?"
You ask, you're not beggars, you're middle class, you wouldn't just take 50 shekels from a stranger just because you got annoyed at the pump, right?
"This must be some kind of scam", you say to yourself, but the man rushes and shoves the bill into your pocket, you didn't even have time to resist.
The man starts running away from you, so that you won't have time to return, and in the process shouts: "Just don't forget to vote Lieberman at the ballot box."
Avigdor Lieberman has reduced the price of fuel artificially in recent months, but the fuel tax reduction is not intended to make things easier for the public, it is intended to buy votes.
The cheap drop of fuel comes with a price tag of billions of shekels.
It is no different from an ultra-Orthodox education network, a child allowance, land in a kibbutz, a price per tenant or a budget pension.
They are all money transfer programs in exchange for notes.
You will say that you don't care, that you are the middle class that pays the taxes, and if you are relieved of the tax, and if you were able to bite into the budget cake that you yourself baked, or at least financed its components, then what's good, the thief steals an exemption.
The point is that you will have to pay for the bite you took, and twice as much.
If Lieberman distributed two billion shekels in tax rebates to car owners, this money would have to come from somewhere else.
The government's expenses did not decrease by two billion shekels, so they will have to take from another source: more income tax, or VAT in the future, whether in collection or in the absence of a future reduction.
A fuel subsidy is also not in line with sensible government policy.
The state spends tens of billions to encourage public transport and it works to reduce pollution, with fuel subsidies it does the opposite.
Economically, there is not much logic in reducing fuel tax either.
Given fixed government spending, it is better for the state to tax consumption rather than labor.
Fuel tax encourages you not to drive, but income tax encourages you not to work.
In this equation, the fuel tax is more effective.
You will see the reduction in fuel tax on the receipt.
The state does not have a money tree, it does not have a fuel voucher tree or a subsidy tree for day care centers.
The state has you, walking wallets in human form, or taxpayers in the professional language.
In this case Lieberman is the brat who helps the old woman cross the road with one hand, and with the other hand picks her pocket while shoving a ballot paper into his pocket and whispers to her, "I helped you cross the road, vote for me".
Despite the clear electoral economy in the fuel case, Lieberman is of course not the only one.
Michaeli facilitates bus travel, Shasha Bitton distributes billions to teachers, Gantz fuels the budget pensions with billions and Lapid takes a selfie with the spendthrifts.
Those who have pain at the pump should, like the hero of the beginning of our story, look at the rear window of our vehicle.
The milk and eggs are controlled by a government cartel, the baby chair and diapers are only sold to a unique standard set by a cartel, and the honey and vegetables are controlled by agricultural councils.
Artificially expensive for you, you work hard but others have a hand in your wallet, the end of season celebration will cost us a lot more in the future.
Those who close their eyes in light of the celebration of the distribution of funds and the economy of the elections, may pay dearly for it.
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