Reserve soldiers (archives)
Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Office
Barak. Relieved
Photo: Gil Yohanan
Cabinet approves reservists' benefits package
Defense minister's motion on benefit package carried unanimously; reservists to be made eligible for tax breaks, academic relief
Defense Minister Ehud Barak's motion to grant reserve soldiers a benefits package was carried unanimously in Monday's cabinet meeting.
Barak and deputy defense minister, Knesset Member Matan Vilnai (Labor-Meimad), have been trying to approve a benefits package for reserve soldiers for the past few weeks.
Scandal
Shmulik Hadad
Student wearing IDF uniform arrives at Sapir College following long army reserve service, ordered to leave classroom. Students say lecturer told reservist, 'I don’t teach soldiers, policemen and officers in uniform'. College president: Student's version sounds reliable; we will draw our conclusions
The overall complexity of the motion, as well as the fact that the Defense and Finance ministries have been butting heads over the proposed tax breaks, have caused Barak to pull his motion for the reservists' benefits package twice before.
Faced with what seemed to be endless delays with the bill's approval, various reservists' organizations, such as the brigade commanders' forum and the IAF airmen association, began bombarding both Barak and Vilanai with angry letters; prompting the two to assure them the bill would be brought before the government.
The motion carried Monday makes reservists eligible for academic alleviations and for tax breaks, the extent of which is still to be determined by the Finance and Defense Ministries.
