Full Breakdown
Violent Assaults on Tax Authority Staff Prompt Suspension of War-Damage Claims in Bnei Brak
7/20/2026, 8:24:32 PM
Core Event
On July 16, 2024, a mob of several hundred residents in Bnei Brak’s Kiryat Vizhnitz neighborhood violently attacked Israel Tax Authority employees who were conducting enforcement activities. Police rescued the workers after they were pelted with stones and other projectiles. The incident followed a similar assault on July 8, 2024, also reported by city officials. In response, Tax Authority Director Shay Aharonovich ordered an immediate halt to the processing of war-damage compensation claims for Bnei Brak residents until the municipality issues an unequivocal public condemnation of the attacks.
Background & Context
Bnei Brak, a predominantly ultra-Orthodox suburb of Tel Aviv, has been repeatedly struck by Iranian missiles during the 2023 and 2024 Iran-Israel conflicts, causing extensive civilian infrastructure damage. The city’s dense Haredi population has a history of tension with state authorities, exemplified by prior protests against draft-evasion arrests and attacks on female soldiers in February 2024.
Key Figures & Groups
- Shay Aharonovich – Director of the Israel Tax Authority, author of the suspension letter.
- Hanoch Zeibert – Mayor of Bnei Brak, who issued a condemnation after meeting with Aharonovich.
- Ofir Alkalay – Chairman of the State Employees Union, demanding safety guarantees for staff.
- Bezalel Smotrich – Finance Minister overseeing the Tax Authority, who publicly condemned the July 8 assault on X.
Timeline
- July 8, 2024 – First reported mob attack on Tax Authority staff in Bnei Brak.
- July 16, 2024 – Large-scale assault on employees during enforcement duties.
- July 17, 2024 – Aharonovich sends a sharply worded letter to Mayor Zeibert demanding condemnation.
- July 19, 2024 – Meeting between Aharonovich, Mayor Zeibert, and senior Tax Authority deputies; operations temporarily resumed.
- July 20, 2024 – Aharonovich announces suspension of war-damage compensation processing for Bnei Brak residents.
Data & Statistics
- Mob size: hundreds of residents, according to video evidence and police reports.
- Compensation freeze: All war-damage claims linked to operations “Rising Lion” and “Lion’s Roar” are halted.
- Prior missile strikes: Bnei Brak was hit multiple times during the 2023 and 2024 Iran-Israel wars, causing civilian casualties and infrastructure loss.
Why It Matters
The suspension directly impacts residents seeking aid for damage caused by Iranian missile attacks, leveraging state compensation to pressure municipal leadership. It also highlights escalating friction between ultra-Orthodox communities and government agencies tasked with enforcing civil regulations.
Official Statements & Responses
Mayor Zeibert, after meeting with Aharonovich, declared, “There is no place for violence in the city of Torah and Hasidism, whose ways are ways of pleasantness…Public employees, including Tax Authority employees, carry out their work faithfully in Bnei Brak, just as they do in every city in the country.”
Finance Minister Smotrich posted on X, condemning the July 8 assault and urging that the perpetrators face “the full force of the law.”
Criticism & Opposition
Union chairman Ofir Alkalay rejected the meeting’s assurances, stating that without concrete safety measures “another attack could take place as soon as tomorrow.” He emphasized that the absence of employee representation in discussions undermines any guarantee of protection.
On-the-Ground Reports
Video footage circulated online shows crowds of Haredi men surrounding a civilian vehicle, hurling stones while police attempt to escort the driver to safety. Ynet obtained recorded hotline messages sent to residents warning, “Unwanted guests are walking around,” and urging yeshiva students to mobilize, suggesting premeditation.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Ynet’s investigation revealed messages indicating the July 16 attack was a coordinated act, yet no official investigation outcome has been published. The Tax Authority’s claim that the assaults were “deliberate” remains uncorroborated by independent law-enforcement findings.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Public employees, including Tax Authority employees, carry out their work faithfully in Bnei Brak, just as they do in every city in the country.” — Hanoch Zeibert, Mayor of Bnei Brak
- “Unfortunately, no discussion was held with the employees’ representatives on the matter, and another attack could take place as soon as tomorrow.” — Ofir Alkalay, State Employees Union Chairman
- “no choice but to conclude that Tax Authority employees are not welcome in your city.” — Shay Aharonovich, Tax Authority Director (letter)
- “In a letter to Bnei Brak Mayor Hanoch Zeibert, Aharonovich said Tax Authority employees who came to the city on Thursday were “violently attacked” by hundreds of people while carrying out their duties and had to be extracted by police.” — Shay Aharonovich, Tax Authority Director (statement)
- “Tax Authority employees who had arrived in the city to carry out enforcement activities were violently attacked,” — Shay Aharonovich, Tax Authority Director (letter)
