The Cancer Society urges High Court to end tax exemption for smoking products in Israel

The Cancer Society submitted a petition to the High Court demanding conditional orders for the cancellation of tax exemption on smoking products entering Israel. The society claims that the subsidy for smoking products creates a severe distortion with no 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.

The petition states that the government of Israel has authorized the Minister of Finance to cancel the exemption on smoking products entering Israel duty-free. The Cancer Society highlights the significant threat smoking poses to public health, causing illness, disability, and premature death. They mention that smoking products purchased duty-free benefit from tax exemption, leading to lower prices than in other parts of Israel.

The association claims that the subsidy for smoking products purchased duty-free endangers lives and creates a distortion in the market. They criticize the Minister of Finance for withdrawing a draft order to abolish the tax exemption and instead installing an order to maintain the exemption until 2028. The Cancer Society argues that this decision was made for reasons outside of the Minister of Finance’s authority and violates the government’s decision to end the subsidy.

The association believes that the public interest has been sacrificed for improper considerations, resulting in billions of shekels spent by the health system due to the harms of smoking. They claim that the Minister of Finance’s decision to maintain the tax exemption is unreasonable, disproportionate, and violates the constitutional rights to life and health. The Cancer Society is seeking the immediate cancellation of the tax exemption on smoking products to protect public health and prevent further economic losses associated with smoking.