"A shawarma business received 13,000 shekels": The anger that brought Tiberias to a "garbage" protest

The protest of business owners in Tiberias against new charges for garbage collection took to the streets today, Sunday. Business owners gathered at noon on Hagalil Street, blocked traffic multiple times, and demanded that the Tiberias Municipality cancel the new assessments.

Protesters claim that in recent weeks, local businesses have received payment demands reaching thousands and even tens of thousands of shekels, based on what they describe as arbitrary estimates of their waste production.

The "Garbage Tax"

Guy Fahima, a supermarket owner in the city for about 30 years, told "Ma'ariv" that the new charge arrived at a time when businesses are already struggling to survive. "Regardless of the high municipal tax (arnona) we already pay, they decided to impose another tax on us called a garbage collection tax," he said. "Almost all the businesses I spoke with received estimates of 13, 14, or 17 tons. I call it a 'lever,' because no one can accurately estimate how much garbage a business generates in a year."

According to Fahima, the demands began arriving en masse last month. "A shawarma business received a bill for 13,000 shekels. A business that produces one or two bags of trash a day received a calculation for 17 tons of waste. For me to clear 17 tons from my grocery store, I would need to be receiving cardboard instead of merchandise. I throw away maybe 100 kilograms of cardboard a year."

Fahima emphasized that business owners are not willing to settle for a reduction and are demanding a full cancellation, noting that local businesses are barely making ends meet.

"We don't want a reduction, we want a cancellation"

The protest began at noon, with demonstrators blocking Hagalil Street several times. Participants reported that many passing drivers honked in solidarity. When police attempted to detain the protest organizer, business owners resisted.

The CEO of the Tiberias Municipality arrived at the scene and explained that while the charge would not be canceled, the city would work to find a solution to reduce costs. "Even if it costs us money to file a petition as an association, that is what we will do," Fahima said.

Maoz Indik, from the Lower City business committee, added: "Today's demonstration is only the first step. We will not stop until they cancel this garbage tax."

The Tiberias Municipality announced that enforcement actions have been frozen for the time being. A decision regarding the implementation of the excess waste law and final charges is expected within two weeks.

"In light of inquiries from business owners, it was decided to examine claims on an individual basis," the municipality stated. "Mayor Yossi Nabaa has instructed the municipal tax department not to carry out enforcement actions until the final decision is published."