MK Moshe Gafne, who serves as chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee, sent a letter to the Knesset Comptroller on Wednesday 10 Shevat informing him that he will not be taking the recently-approved raise for Members of Knesset.

In his letter he writes “in line with paragraph 51 of the Knesset regulations, I will not be taking the pay increase approved for 2016”. Shas MK Yoav Ben-Tzur announced earlier that he will donate the raise to tzedaka.

Last month, Shas party leader Minister Aryeh Deri stated that when he served as a cabinet minister there was no increase granted for ministers. He added it would be fitting for MKs to inform the comptroller they were not going to accept a raise despite the Knesset approval of the increase.

He added “The national poverty report was recently released and MKs and cabinet ministers have acceptable salaries. Under the present circumstances, it is not fitting to accept an increase in salary”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)