Nir Barkat Insisting Salary Total of One Shekel per Year

Likud MK Nir Barkat, former mayor of Jerusalem, is insisting that his salary as an MK not total more than one shekel per year.

Currently, the back pay owed to Barkat totals over two million shekels.

On Monday, May 23, Barkat appeared before the Knesset's Wages Committee, since he had refused to withdraw his salary and the Knesset's accountant did not know what to do with the enormous sum owed to him.

During the meeting, Barkat explained to the Committee members that working for one shekel a year is his basic right and that he has no intention of changing the custom that he has adopted throughout his 14 years in public office.

"It is a great merit for me to serve the People of Israel for one shekel a year – as I did during my decade as Jerusalem mayor, as I am doing now as an MK, and as I will do in any public office that I hold in the future," Barkat said.

"My father blessed me in my youth that I should pay a lot of taxes to the State and that in the merit of this, I should be able to serve in public office for one shekel a year. Thank G-d, I have merited that his blessing has been fulfilled. I explained to the Committee members that I have no intention of receiving the salary and that this is my basic right. The public's money is holy to me. I thank the members of the Knesset's Wages Committee and believe that they will accept my position.” (INN/ VFI News)

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you. - Hebrews 13:5