The Israel Tax Authority has suspended the processing of war-damage compensation claims for Bnei Brak residents following the violent attack on its inspectors in the city this week. The freeze will remain in effect until the municipality issues a public condemnation of the incident.

The decision was announced Friday in a letter sent by Israel Tax Authority Director Shay Aharonovitz to Bnei Brak Mayor Chanoch Zeibert. In the letter, Aharonovitz said he had instructed officials to halt work on compensation claims related to damages from Operations “Am K’Lavi” and “Roar of the Lion” until the city publicly denounces the assault.

The move comes one day after Tax Authority inspectors were attacked while carrying out their duties in Bnei Brak’s Kiryat Vizhnitz neighborhood. Video footage published by Kikar HaShabbat showed a crowd surrounding the inspectors’ vehicle, pelting it with eggs and damaging its windows before police officers arrived and rescued those inside.

In his letter, Aharonovitz wrote that the inspectors had come to the city as part of their official responsibilities when they were violently assaulted and ultimately required a police extraction. He noted that this was the second attack targeting Tax Authority personnel in recent weeks and said the Bnei Brak municipality had yet to publicly condemn either incident.

Aharonovitz stated that Tax Authority employees would not resume operations in Bnei Brak until the municipality issues a clear and unequivocal public statement denouncing the violence. As a result, he also directed the Compensation Fund to suspend all processing of war-damage claims submitted by city residents.

The Tax Authority director further requested that the city’s condemnation be published in media outlets serving the Chareidi community. According to the letter, the freeze on compensation claims will remain in place until such a public statement is issued.

{Matzav.com}