Cancer Society Urges Israel’s High Court to End Tax Exemptions on Smoking Products

On Wednesday, the Cancer Society submitted a petition to the High Court, calling for the immediate cancellation of tax exemptions on smoking products entering Israel. The society claims that this subsidy creates a severe distortion without any substantive justification.

The petition was filed against the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Health, the Finance Committee of the Knesset, and the Airports Authority. According to the petition submitted by the attorneys’ office, the government of Israel has authorized the Minister of Finance to cancel the exemption on smoking products. The Cancer Society emphasizes that smoking is a significant threat to public health, causing serious illness, disability, and premature death. In Israel, where smoking rates are high compared to OECD countries, about 8000 people die each year due to smoking-related issues.

The Cancer Society argues that smoking products purchased duty-free benefit from tax exemptions and endanger lives. They blame the Minister of Finance for withdrawing a draft order to abolish the subsidy in favor of special interests. The association claims that this decision was made for reasons outside of his authority and undermines public health. They argue that this decision violates government policy, is based on extraneous considerations and is unreasonable and disproportionate. The society believes that billions of shekels will continue to be spent on harm caused by smoking due to this decision.

Smoking is not only harmful to individual health but also poses risks for public health as well. It creates distortions in market competition and leads to an increase in healthcare costs associated with tobacco-related diseases.

In conclusion, it’s time for Israel’s government to take action against smoking-related harms by canceling tax exemptions on these products once and for all.