The Tax Authority said it would resume services in Bnei Brak after a meeting between Director Shay Aharonovich and Mayor Hanoch Zeibert, but the State Employees Union rejected the move. Union Chairman Ofir Alkalay said inspectors will not return until clear security safeguards are implemented and worker representatives are consulted. The dispute follows a July 16 attack by a large mob in Kiryat Vizhnitz, which reporting suggests was organized via local hotline messages urging residents to block cooperation with authorities.
Union: Tax Inspectors Won't Return To Bnei Brak Without Security Guarantees After Mob Attack
Israeli srcurity and rescue forces inspect the damage at the scene where a missile fired from Iran toward Israel caused damage in Bnei Brak, central Israel, March 31, 2026. (photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90)
The State Employees Union has rejected the Tax Authority's decision to resume operations in Bnei Brak, saying inspectors will not return until clear security measures are in place. The announcement came after a Thursday meeting between Tax Authority Director Shay Aharonovich and Bnei Brak Mayor Hanoch Zeibert following a violent mob attack on July 16.
The July 16 assault occurred in the Kiryat Vizhnitz neighborhood while Tax Authority staff were carrying out enforcement duties. Union Chairman Ofir Alkalay said the employees were violently attacked by a mob numbering in the hundreds and that workers’ safety remains unresolved.
Meeting and Reactions
After the meeting at the mayor's office, which also included Senior Deputy Director for Customer Service David Rotenberg, Senior Deputy Director for Assessment and Auditing Ruby Botbol, and Municipal Director General Rabbi Yisrael Ehrenstein, the Tax Authority announced it would resume services in the city.
Israeli security and rescue forces at the scene where a missile fired from Iran toward Israel caused damage in Bnei Brak, April 1, 2026. (credit: FLASH90)
'A publicized meeting with the mayor still does not guarantee the safety of Tax Authority employees,' Alkalay said. He added that union representatives were not invited to the meeting and warned that 'another attack could take place as soon as tomorrow.'
Allegations Of Organized Resistance
Reporting by Ynet indicated the attack may have been organized. Investigators obtained recorded hotline messages circulated in the neighborhood that warned residents of 'unwanted guests' and urged yeshiva students to come and avoid cooperation with authorities. Those messages suggest the violence was not spontaneous but coordinated.
In response to the July 16 incident, Aharonovich sent a sharply worded letter to Mayor Zeibert ordering the suspension of war-damage claim processing in Bnei Brak until local leadership publicly and unequivocally condemned the assault. The Employees Union said the Tax Authority's unilateral decision to resume services was unacceptable and reiterated that staff would not return until concrete safety guarantees were provided.
Authorities and union leaders are now in a standoff: the Tax Authority seeks to restore services, while the union insists on formal protective measures and meaningful engagement with employee representatives before inspectors return to the city.
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