Rich Israelis won’t get government stimulus check

Government ministers have tweaked the stimulus proposal to exclude rich Israelis and offer more aid to those eligible for welfare benefits.

The NIS 6 billion ($1.7 billion) plan was announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week and was widely criticized for its failure to distinguish between income levels of recipients.

After meeting with Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Finance Minister Yisrael Katz, and Economy Minister Amir Peretz to hammer out a compromise, Netanyahu’s office announces changes to the plan.

Under the new proposal, those who earn more than NIS 640,000 ($186,000) per year will not receive a government check, nor will civil servants whose monthly salaries exceed NIS 30,000 ($8,700).

The PMO also announces that people “receiving support payments for convalescent care, handicapped status, income assurance, needy new immigrants (who have been in the country for at least two years), the unemployed over 67 and the elderly who receive income supplements” will all receive larger (though currently unspecified) grants.

The original plan, as outlined by Netanyahu last week, would have seen couples with one child receive a one-time payment of NIS 2,000 ($583), rising to NIS 2,500 ($729) for those with two children, and NIS 3,000 ($875) for those with three or more. Single Israelis aged 18 and over would each receive NIS 750 ($218).