Northern cities in Israel to strike over reduced tax breaks

Six cities north of Israel plan to go on strike Sunday, because their tax breaks were reduced after the government changed the criteria for periphery towns to receive the benefits.

Acre, Nahariya , Ma’alot-Tarshiha, Mateh Asher, Kfar Vradim and Mizra plan to close all municipal services and schools, except for special education, for an unlimited amount of time.

The Israeli labor union, Histadrut in the Western Galilee will join the strike, stopping work in factories in the area.

The change will require residents of the Western Galilee who make NIS 11,000 or more to pay higher taxes and reduce the number of those eligible for tax breaks in Ma’alot-Tarshiha and Nahariya by two percentage points and in Acre by four.