The Israeli government has officially dropped the special tax on disposable dishware, such as cutlery, plates, bowls, cups, etc, according to Arutz-7. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich of the Religious Zionist Party pushed the plan, which was supported by the government’s Charedi allies who felt the tax unfairly targeted larger Charedi families who rely heavily on disposable items. Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman of Likud criticized the end of the tax, stating it led to a reduction in the use of disposables and reduced environmental and health damage. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Smotrich vowed to find an alternative solution to reduce the use of disposables and bring a plan to the government for approval within 6 months.