Fact-Check: Bennett's Claims on Sectoral Fiscal Transfers Verified
A fact-check confirms Naftali Bennett's claim that non-haredi Jewish families pay 6,000 NIS more in taxes than they receive, while haredi families receive 4,000 NIS more than they pay.
A recent factual check of statements made by former Prime Minister and leader of the "Be-Yachad" list, Naftali Bennett, confirms that his assertions regarding net fiscal transfers between different population sectors in Israel are largely accurate. Bennett claimed during a video discussion that a non-haredi Jewish family pays the state 6,000 NIS more per month than it receives in public services, whereas a haredi family receives 4,000 NIS more than it pays.
Research Findings on Net Transfers
The figures cited by Bennett originate from a study titled "On Taxes and Wonders," published by the Kohelet Policy Forum and authored by Ariel Karlinsky, Tom Sadeh, Eran Yogev, and Michael Sarel. The research calculates "net transfers," defined as the total government transfers and services received by households minus the taxes they pay.
According to the data, the average net transfer for a non-haredi Jewish household stands at minus 6,114 NIS per month, meaning they pay approximately 6,000 NIS more in taxes than they receive in direct services. Conversely, haredi households show a positive net transfer of 4,137 NIS, meaning they receive more than they pay. Arab households record an average net transfer of 1,027 NIS. Consequently, haredi households receive roughly 10,000 NIS per month more than non-haredi Jewish households.
Accounting for Public Goods
The initial calculations primarily account for taxes and services that can be directly attributed to specific households, such as education, healthcare, allowances, and public transport. General public goods like defense and national infrastructure are initially excluded because quantifying individual household benefit is complex.
However, when the researchers incorporated general state expenditures using consumption-based or income-based distribution models, the underlying gaps remained consistent. Under consumption analysis, non-haredi net transfers shift to minus 346 NIS, while haredi net transfers rise to 10,504 NIS. Under income analysis, non-haredi households reach a positive balance of 55 NIS, while haredi households stand at 9,244 NIS.
"The data clearly shows that despite methodological adjustments incorporating public goods and infrastructure, the fundamental monthly gap of roughly 10,000 NIS between non-haredi and haredi households persists," noted the study's authors.
Ultimately, while the exact financial balances fluctuate depending on the accounting methodology applied, the structural fiscal gap between the sectors remains steady, verifying the core accuracy of Bennett's public statements.
