{"id":54112,"date":"2025-11-12T17:12:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T22:12:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/knesset-advances-first-reading-for-tax-benefits-bills-for-ashkelon-southern-israel-west-bank\/12\/11\/2025\/"},"modified":"2025-11-12T17:12:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T22:12:09","slug":"knesset-advances-first-reading-for-tax-benefits-bills-for-ashkelon-southern-israel-west-bank","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/knesset-advances-first-reading-for-tax-benefits-bills-for-ashkelon-southern-israel-west-bank\/12\/11\/2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Knesset advances first reading for tax benefits bills for Ashkelon, southern Israel, West Bank"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n<\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The bills will now be brought to the Knesset\u2019s committees for further discussion before being brought back to the plenum, where they will need to pass a second and third reading to become law.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpost.com\/tags\/knesset\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Knesset;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Knesset<\/a> approved in a first reading on Wednesday a bill to expand areas that receive tax benefits to include <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpost.com\/business-and-innovation\/real-estate\/article-862725\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Ashkelon;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Ashkelon<\/a> and additional localities near the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/articles\/most-israelis-doubt-hamas-disarm-154930684.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Gaza Strip;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Gaza Strip<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In a separate vote, the plenum approved in a preliminary reading a bill proposal to grant tax benefits to communities in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/articles\/just-one-jewish-anarchist-remains-153241636.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:West Bank;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">West Bank<\/a> that are classified between threat levels 2 and 5, according to a ranking set by the Defense Ministry.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">If the West Bank tax proposal bill passes all three readings, West Bank communities will receive tax benefits similar to those granted to communities in broader areas of Israel.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"mb-4 text-lg font-bold\">Tax exemptions for Ashkelon and southern Israel<\/h3>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The bill proposing to expand tax benefits in Ashkelon and southern Israel was unanimously approved, with all 51 MKs in attendance at the plenum session voting in favor.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">It will now be brought to the Knesset\u2019s committees for further review before being brought back to the plenum, where it will need to pass a second and third reading to become law.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>City of Ashkelon, southern Israel. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL\/FLASH90)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The proposal seeks to expand eligibility for tax benefits to include towns with up to 100,000 residents. It calls for establishing, for the tax years 2026 through 2029, a 7% earned-income tax credit for residents of cities in the designated areas near the Gaza Strip.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said, \u201cThe residents of Ashkelon are a living example of Zionism in action, people who continue to build, work, and raise families despite constant threats.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cTheir bravery, steadfastness, and faith in the path are a beacon for all Israeli citizens. Our duty as a state is not only to appreciate them in words but also to translate that appreciation into action, and tax benefits are one expression of that,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Further, Smotrich said that the bill aligns with the government\u2019s decision from about two months ago to allocate NIS 1.4 billion for the continued development and renewal of Ashkelon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Reacting to this development, Ashkelon\u2019s Mayor, Tomer Glam, said, \u201cToday we took another step in our uncompromising fight for tax benefits for Ashkelon residents. It is rightful, it is deserved, and we will not rest until this reaches them directly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cWe are looking forward to the next stage, and with God\u2019s help, we will succeed in bringing tax benefits and justice to the heroic residents of Ashkelon,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/articles\/knesset-advances-first-reading-tax-211700717.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The bills will now be brought to the Knesset&rsquo;s committees for further discussion before being brought back to the plenum, where they<br \/><button class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/knesset-advances-first-reading-for-tax-benefits-bills-for-ashkelon-southern-israel-west-bank\/12\/11\/2025\/\">Read More &rsaquo;<\/a><\/button><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":54113,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/jerusalem_post_articles_818\/86791a755f782e51eb44bb23231c7171","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54112"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54112"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54112\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54112"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54112"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54112"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}