A fine of millions of dollars? The price Netanyahu's first pick may pay

Oren Dobronsky, Netanyahu's first pick on the Likud list, may have to pay an exit tax of millions of dollars if he gives up his American citizenship. The tax applies to unrealized gains, and the question is whether the price will lead him to give up his seat in the Knesset.

Oren Dobronsky, the first candidate announced by Netanyahu on the Likud list for the 2026 elections, may have to pay an exit tax of millions of dollars if he is elected to the Knesset. Dobronsky, who has lived in the US since 2000, is required to renounce his American citizenship due to Basic Law: The Knesset, which prohibits Knesset members from holding dual citizenship. According to US immigration laws, renouncing citizenship requires paying an exit tax on unrealized gains and asset appreciation. The tax applies to those with a net worth exceeding $2 million and an annual income exceeding $171,000. Dobronsky has sold companies worth millions of dollars, and in 2020 he said in an interview with Mako that he has assets worth a billion dollars. Now the question arises whether the heavy price will lead him to give up his seat in the Knesset, against the backdrop of the Likud's problematic situation in the polls.