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Likud deputy Yehuda Glick announced Saturday that he would end a 25-day hunger strike that he launched to compel the finance minister to increase the tobacco tax in bulk to match it with that of cigarettes.
"To avoid harming my health and after many calls from my family and partners in this fight, I decided to end my hunger strike after 25 days," writes Glick on Twitter. "The fight will continue."
Glick said that he had been invited to meet with Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon in the coming days. "I hope we will deal with the issue significantly and not under political pressure."
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In launching the strike, Glick accused Kahlon of taking "our children hostage for political reasons," without specifying Kahlon's alleged motives
"Who will defend the 3,000 people who died this year by smoking ? asked the Knesset. "Global health organizations are asking Israel to increase the tobacco tax in bulk, but the finance minister has ignored their demands."
Glick, who has long advocated smoking, has listed several Knesset committees that have claimed the tobacco tax in bulk. Glick says that Kahlon has systematically rejected their recommendations.
"Children in grades 8 and 9 buy tobacco instead of Bamba," Glick said, referring to a popular snack
. Stop eating until the tax has been lifted.
"Since the Torah in which I believe gives precedence to human life over everything else, and I can not sit idly by," said Glick. "I will start an unlimited hunger strike from tomorrow."
Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon speaks at a ceremony in southern Israel on April 12, 2018. (Flash90)
The tax on cigarettes is more than three times higher than the tobacco tax in bulk.
The main goal of the high tax on tobacco is to prevent people from smoking. While smoking has declined in recent years, the amount of bulk tobacco sold has increased dramatically.
Two months ago, the Knesset announced a major crackdown on smoking, banning the practice in many public places, including hospitals Some 26% of Israelis smoke cigarettes, according to a 2015 study by the Ministry of Health, slightly above the EU average of 24.2%. . Among women, only 13.6% of adults smoke cigarettes, just under 15.5% of the EU.
A report from last year revealed that nearly 40% of Israelis smoke when they complete their compulsory military service. This is twice as high as the overall national rate and considerably higher than among US soldiers, according to a study in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research. The study found no significant changes over the years in the number of soldiers who were smoking when they were recruited or sent back.
JTA contributed to this report.
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