The Bahai religion prohibits acceptance of government funds, grants or concessions, apart from those awarded by law and offered to any entity of similar status.
The Bahai International Community says that the aid it received in setting up the gardens at its religious center in Haifa was awarded in accordance with the criteria for international entities’ investments in the development of high-tech, tourism and industrial projects. The Bahai International Community added that its 1987 agreement with the Israeli government was based on the rules and regulations for encouraging foreign investment.
The Bahai International Community said that the economic appendix to the contract for setting up the gardens was approved by the government and the Knesset Finance Committee. An inter-ministerial committee led by the Ministry of Justice director general monitors the project, and the budgetary clauses in the agreement are included in annual budgets and published officially, as required by law.
The Bahai International Community stresses that the Bahai religion prohibits acceptance of government funds, grants, or concessions, apart from those awarded by law and offered to any entity of similar status. The Bahai International Community points out that there is no reason to attribute the concessions to Shimon Peres, who was Minister of Finance when the agreement was signed, since the agreement was forged through an orderly administrative procedure involving all relevant agencies.
Published by Israel's Business Arena on 7 June, 2001