Why doesn't the state want you to use cash?
The article examines the state's policy to reduce cash usage, presenting the official claim that the move aims to combat the black economy, estimated at a quarter of the GDP. On the other hand, criticism is raised regarding the infringement on privacy and the benefit to banks. Prof. Dan Amiram explains why cash is essential in times of crisis and who benefits from the war against it.
The article examines the state's policy to reduce cash usage, presenting two main perspectives. On one hand, the state claims that cash fuels a black economy estimated at a quarter of Israel's GDP, including transactions without invoices, bribery, drugs, and weapons. Reducing cash is seen as a necessary step for social fairness and fighting crime. On the other hand, criticism is raised that the move harms citizens' privacy and primarily benefits the banks. Prof. Dan Amiram, former dean of the Faculty of Management at Tel Aviv University, explains that cash is essential in times of crisis such as war or a pandemic, when people hoard it as a security anchor. He notes that in the recent war, concerns arose about the collapse of electricity infrastructure, which would disable the use of credit cards. The article presents the tension between the desire to fight crime and the need to maintain privacy and personal economic resilience.