Gafni Vetoes Unkosher Taxes

Interestingly, the finance committee in the Knesset was voting yesterday on the internation tax agreements for international business. UTJ MK Moshe Gafni, director of the Finance Committee, vetoed a couple interesting points in the package.

One of the items being voted on was the tax for fish. There was a dual issue with fish - they wanted to increase the tax on kosher fish, and were planning on decreasing the tax on non-kosher fish.

בשר ודגים וכל מטעמים

Gafni vetoed both of the adjustments on fish. His explanation was twofold - one for ideological reasons and the second for financial reasons. Gafni said he would not agree to allow the State to lower taxes on non-kosher fish and raise taxes on kosher fish - ideologically. Secondly, this is another example of raising the taxes on items that are basic and consumed by a majority of families in Israel. Some sensitivity in deciding these things would not be so bad.

The second issue Gafni had was the item about levying a tax on non-kosher meat. Gafni said that that item must be removed form the tax law. Gafni's reason is that since it is illegal anyway to import non-kosher meat into Israel, as is a Basic Law in Israel, there is no reason to mention it in the tax law. Normally this tax law is approved "as is", as it is an international arrangement that is being signed on, but there is no reason to sign on a tax for an item that is illegal to be imported. For symbolic reasons it is worth removing the item from the document, even though there is no ramification to it being in. (source: The Marker)

Sounds good to me! even if it does not actually change anything in the tax structure, at least it will appear more "Jewish" and fitting for a Jewish state.