Transport Minister Miri Regev has approved the introduction of Uber into Israel, allowing any driver to transport passengers for a fee.
Currently, the law only allows taxi drivers who have received a license from the Ministry of Transport and who own a taxi and a "green number" to transport passengers for a fee, at rates set by the state.
According to the plan, the Uber service will begin operating in Israel in the first quarter of 2026.
Kfir Ben Zino, chairman of the National Taxi Drivers Association, responded angrily, "I would be underestimating the situation if I said that there is going to be a world war here. Miri Regev, I promise you - in the next primaries you will no longer be the Minister of Transportation."
Zohar Golan, chairman of the Taxi Drivers' Association in the independent forum of the Histadrut, said: "If you want to bring order into the sector of passenger transportation by car, then change the law and make full equality also for taxi drivers who are currently required to comply with a long series of laws and regulations, including extensive and expensive training.
"The real question is what is "hiding" behind "Uber's" introduction in Israel? It is clear that what is happening here is an attempt to legalize a non-kosher situation. This is a move that will legitimize all illegal drivers in Israel, which of course exists mainly in the haredi sector. This is the truth that Miri Regev is trying to hide," Golan continued.
"She is not showing a sudden interest in the Uber service. All she wants is to find a solution for a group of potential voters and the haredi pressure group ahead of the upcoming elections. Regev is not worried about the state of public transportation, but is trying to "legalize criminals through the back door to amass personal political gain," he concluded.