Knesset passes bill giving tax breaks to settlement donors

The Knesset passed a bill that provides tax benefits to Israelis who donate to West Bank settlements.

The bill, an amendment to the Income Tax Act, grants a 35 percent tax break on donations to nongovernmental organizations that encourage settlement anywhere in the country, such as the Negev and the Galilee, and including the West Bank.

A vote on the bill’s second and third readings passed the Knesset plenum Monday evening by a vote of 33 to 13. Several members of the Kadima party joined the opposition in voting against the bill.

Donors to non-Jewish settlements also receive the tax break.