Amir Peretz
Photo: Omri Eilat
Reservists want Peretz to okay perks
Reserve soldiers furious at defense minister's failure to use law that allows them to put off debts without paying fines
Reservists upset: Defense Minister Amir Peretz has
refused to use a law allowing IDF reservists
called up for service recently to enjoy an exemption on fines and interest associated with debts they incur during their call-up period.
Reserve troops called up to join the war effort are furious after discovering they are still required to pay the fines and interest even though they were unable to issue payments on time because they were called up.
Peretz' office said the defense minister is looking into the possibility of declaring an emergency call-up and is discussing the matter with Justice and Treasury officials.
"Because the reserve call-up at this time is not a general one but rather, a call-up that only comprises a small percentage of the reserves," the decision was made not to use the relevant legislation at this time, the statement said.
The law granting reservists an extension on payments was legislated in 1974, following the Yom Kippur War. The exemption is conditioned on an "emergency call-up" declaration by the defense minister. Notably, the law was not applied in past cases, such as the Lebanon War in 1982 or operation Defensive Shield in 2002.
A reserve soldiers' organizations slammed Peretz for the failure to use the legislation even though the government was able to reach compensation agreements with workers and employers in the North...
"The reservists are forgotten, the way they always forget us," said one of the group's leaders, Ale Minkovsky. "We're calling on the social-minded Defense Minister Amir Peretz to wake up and do something. We're flooded by inquiries of reservists who are suffering crises on a daily basis."
