If only. If only.

Minister of Sport (and Culture) Miri Regev decided that the honor brought to Israel by our Olympians has been so great that they must be justly rewarded, at a level that was previously not part of the arrangement.

Regev wanted to cancel the tax on their prize monies in order to allow them to keep the entire purse and not share any of it with the government. Realizing that this would entail a lengthy process, and probably one that she could not be sure of its final outcome, she came up with a different plan.

Regev's new plan is to basically give double the prize money. Basically she is saying the government will cover their taxes. We owe them a debt of gratitude, presumably for the glory they brought upon us, and they shouldn't need to pay this tax.
source: Srugim

I don't know who deserves what. These athletes put in years and years of hard work and training, giving up a lot to compete at this level. They brought international glory and pride to the State of Israel. On the other hand, the State of Israel put its gravitas behind these athletes. The State of Israel invested its money and resources into these athletes. Both parties - the athletes and the State of Israel - went into this with a certain agreement and full knowledge of what would happen to the prize money -  some would go to the athletes and some to the State coffers.

It is a very nice gesture on behalf of the State, to forgo its portion of the prize money. If only, if only, the State would allow all of us to bask in our accomplishments and in the pride we each bring to the State with our accomplishments that turn Israel into an international powerhouse. If only, if only, the State would decide to cover the taxes of each and every one of us to show its gratitude for what we each do for the State - teachers, educators, medical professionals, members of the security forces, entrepreneurs, members of the startup nation, and the list goes on and on...