The Ministry of Finance Budget Division announced today (Sunday) that it opposes Defense Minister Israel Katz's position and is demanding immediate personal sanctions on draftees who refuse to report for duty.
In the document, which was forwarded to the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee ahead of the continuation of discussions in the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Security Committee regarding the advancement of the draft law, the Ministry of Finance warns of a "double loss," security and economic - due to the current situation.
Instead of the institutional sanctions proposed by Minister Katz, the Treasury recommends individual measures such as canceling dormitory subsidies, eliminating property tax and national insurance discounts, and canceling housing subsidy benefits.
"The economic burden of not conscripting Haredim is becoming increasingly heavy," the document states, noting that the cost of a single month of reserve duty to the economy is estimated at 50,000 shekels.
According to publically available data, out of 3,000 haredim who received initial draft orders last summer, only 513 reported for duty. At the same time, the IDF needs an immediate addition of 10,000-12,000 soldiers, with the target for haredi draftees for the current year standing at only 4,800.
"Only negative sanctions will reduce the enormous burden on the reserves, which costs about 30 billion shekels a year," said MK Moshe Tur-Paz (Yesh Atid). "Anything that is not a relief for them is a harm to the reservists and to Israel's security."