E-cigarettes in Israel

Israel: With most votes counted after yesterday’s general election, the Likud party led by former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared set to unseat premier Yair Lapid and return Netanyahu to power. Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc, which includes the Religious Zionist Party (RZP), the conservative United Torah Judaism (UTJ), and the religious Shas party, has a more negative approach to vaping and new tobacco products than the outgoing government, as shown by the policies implemented in its previous terms of office.

Israel: Health minister Nitzan Horowitz is considering further restricting the marketing of disposable e-cigarettes and raising the excise duty on them, due to their growing popularity among young people, press reports. He is reportedly considering requiring disturbing and impactful images on packaging to discourage purchase.

Israel: An order introduced in November 2021, establishing a tax on e-liquids, has expired without being approved by the Knesset (parliament), meaning no such tax will be imposed, press reports. The full Knesset yesterday rejected the Finance Committee’s proposal to reduce the proposed excise duty by 10% to 243% of the common wholesale price.