Millions of shekels set aside to compensate victims of rackets
The government is expected to approve a plan by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to compensate business owners who were harmed by protection rackets, in the tens of millions of shekels
Assessment
A government compensation plan for business owners targeted by protection rackets signals an official acknowledgment of organized crime's economic toll in Israel. The scale of the proposed funds, in the tens of millions of shekels, raises questions about whether this is a one-time relief measure or the start of a broader anti-extortion strategy. Watch for further details on eligibility criteria and whether the plan will be paired with enforcement actions against the rackets themselves.