In the political storm that erupted in recent days following the emerging agreement to reduce income tax benefits to the country’s peripheral communities, the absence of Likud ministers and Knesset members is conspicuous. This is especially true for those Likud ministers and Knesset members who proudly consider themselves — the way they see it — as champions of a ''social'' agenda. Thus, one would have expected Ministers Miri Regev and Haim Katz, who never miss an opportunity to portray themselves as social welfare fighters in the government, to raise their voices against the intended changes. As of now, the government intends to reduce tax breaks to cities such as Nahariya, Acre and Maalot Tarshiha — cities in which the Likud Party had won a majority of votes in the March 17 elections, while adding the Jewish settlement of Hebron to the tax benefit list.

The Likud’s top brass shares especially close relations with the settlers, led by Yossi Dagan, the head of the Samaria Regional Council; Dagan is viewed as one of the heavyweights in the Likud Central Committee. Thus, the Likud higher-ups prefer to count themselves out of the tax benefit game so as not to suffer political fallout.

Thus, the regional heads of the periphery communities find themselves out on a limb. They are waging an almost futile battle against the problematic decision, which has dramatic ramifications for residents of periphery communities: a loss of thousands of shekels in annual income per family.

Prior to the Finance Committee’s official authorization of the localities that will enjoy income tax benefits, the periphery mayors have set up a campaign headquarters. It will be interesting to note, in the coming days, who among the senior Likud figures will go to the trouble of supporting them. After all, the Likud higher-ups did visit the protest encampment of the Judea-Samaria residents opposite the prime minister’s office at the beginning of the month. High-placed Likud ministers went on a pilgrimage to the encampment Oct. 6, and in effect took part in the struggle against government policy regarding the wave of terror.