Gasoline prices to fall 42 agorot Sunday, defying forecasts of a jump to near-record levels
Unless Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich extends a temporary excise tax reduction, gasoline will jump to NIS 8.35 per liter on November 5
Assessment
Fuel prices are dropping sharply this weekend, but the relief hinges entirely on a temporary tax cut that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has not yet renewed. If he lets it expire, the cost at the pump could spike toward near-record levels within days. The question now is political: will Smotrich absorb the fiscal cost of extending the break, or pass the full price to drivers?