No Businesses Have Received Israel’s NIS 35 Million Protection-Racket Aid

Two months after Israel approved a NIS 35 million pilot to compensate businesses for property damage caused by protection rackets, no business has received payment and the program's final form remains unsettled. The plan combines NIS 30 million from the Tax Authority compensation fund with NIS 5 million from the National Security Ministry and would run for six months. Finance Ministry representatives missed coordination discussions led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, while officials disputed whether invitations arrived. Thirty-two protection-racket cases are currently before the courts, and participants also examined why victims, particularly in Arab communities, hesitate to file complaints.