"The Prime Minister supports the Arnona Fund Law and asks the coalition to support it" (Knesset Spokesperson's Office)
Finance Committee Chairman Moshe Gafni on Wednesday refused the request of the local government and the opposition to postpone the Finance Committee's discussion on the Arnona tax fund, in the shadow of Operation Shield and Arrow, which prevented mayors from the south from participating in the discussion. Coalition MKs also joined in and asked to postpone the discussion or split the law from the Arrangements Law, but Gafni clarified that he had been instructed by Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana to continue the discussion anyway. During the stormy discussion, Prime Minister Nevo Katz's advisor arrived and clarified that "the prime minister supports the law and asks all coalition MKs to support it."
The Arnona tax fund is one of the most volatile issues in the Arrangements Law, which arouses strong opposition in the local government. The Ministry of Finance is promoting the Arnona Fund, which is intended to reduce the gaps in municipal property tax revenues between local authorities by collecting it from strong authorities in order to promote residential construction in the periphery. The Ministry of Finance claims that the local government is exerting pressure on Likud MKs to thwart the move.
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"Everyone who wanted to talk spoke." Gafni (Photo: Knesset Spokesperson, Noam Moshkovitz, Knesset Spokesperson)
MK Zeev Elkin (State Camp) was angry at the very discussion. "What do you want," he said to Gafni, "for the mayor to leave the city now and come to fight for his city's budget while he is under missile fire? Is this normal? It doesn't suit you," he said, suggesting "stop here, move on to other sections, and return to this issue when the mayors are allowed to come here and talk normally and present what they think. I think you've gone crazy, there are things you don't do."
Vladimir Belyak (Yesh Atid) noted, "I have received calls from several mayors who cannot come, this is not the time to discuss this law." Modi'in Mayor Haim Bibas, chairman of the local government, warned during the discussion that "continuing to promote the bill within the framework of the Arrangements Law, without reaching agreements, will lead to a stubborn struggle between the local government and the government."
"I support the law and ask all coalition MKs to support it." Netanyahu (Photo: Flash 90, Jonathan Zindel)
MK Eli Dellal of the Likud also joined the opposition to the law. "It has no place at this stage, even today this law is not significant in terms of timetable, regardless of whether there are incidents or no authorities," he said. "This is a law that harms a great many authorities." Likud MK Eti Atia called to postpone the discussion "and allow mayors from the south to come here."
Gafni explained that there had been several discussions about the law, and that "everyone who wanted to speak spoke." He claimed, "There are members who opposed it regardless of the security situation and demanded that it be postponed, noting that it has nothing to do with the Arrangements Law, and that it will not pass."
Unusually, the Prime Minister's Advisor joined the discussion and expressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's support and his request to all members of the coalition to support the law. The unusual appearance of the prime minister's adviser to the committee drew the ire of opposition Knesset members, who claimed that it was an attempt to intimidate Likud MKs who oppose the law.
Gafni's office said that the Arnona Fund Law "strengthens the periphery, lowers the cost of living and benefits weakened authorities such as Sderot and Netivot, which are currently dealing with a difficult security situation. At the request of the heads of many municipalities from the periphery in the south and north, the discussions are still taking place today, despite the complex security situation."
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- Political-Political
Tags
- Likud
- Moshe Gafni
- Arrangements Law
- Arnona
- Operation Shield and Arrow
