Tax Benefits for Border Communities Are Not Charity

In early June, the Knesset plenum approved tax benefits for 58 communities in Judea and Samaria, a list later expanded to 64. Northern frontline community leaders claimed a promised 4% addition was not fulfilled. The author, president of 'Kedma', argues that tax benefits are not charity but recognition of the price paid by border community residents, and criticizes their temporary nature, as in the case of Mechora in the Jordan Valley.

In early June, the Knesset plenum approved tax benefits for 58 communities in Judea and Samaria, a list later expanded to 64. The law sparked a political uproar in the Finance Committee after northern frontline community leaders claimed they were promised a 4% addition to the tax credit, a promise not fulfilled. The author, Tira Al Cohen, president of 'Kedma - Young Settlement', argues that the political debate misses the real challenge facing border families. She describes the costs: distance from medical services, sparse public transportation, fewer educational and leisure options, and a security threat in daily routine. She emphasizes that tax benefits are not a gift but recognition of state responsibility. She criticizes their temporary nature, as in the case of Mechora, which was only added this year to a 7% benefit expiring at the end of 2027. She argues that uncertainty prevents long-term planning for families and businesses, and calls for a permanent policy that would turn the benefit into a regional growth lever.