The government today (Sunday) approved an aid and recognition program for reserve service members for the coming year in the amount of 6.2 billion shekels.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the decision and said, "We have now completed two years of the 'War of Redemption.' In this war, the people of Israel have performed wonders and excelled in striking our enemies. What most amazes the foreign leaders I speak with, and I explain this to them, is that the majority of the fighting force is made up of reservists. The conscripts and the standing army are doing magnificent work, but what truly astonishes them is that hundreds of thousands within the fighting and support ranks are reservists."
"They give everything, and we must give them everything. Today, following the grants we have already provided to them and their families, the government is approving an additional special assistance plan for reservists for the coming year. This plan will total NIS 6.2 billion and will reward personnel based on the nature of their service, led by our combat soldiers. They stand at the front, and we stand with them and will continue to support them. I want to thank the Finance Minister and the Defense Minister for their excellent, integrated work in quickly bringing forward this support," he said.
Defense Minister Israel Katz emphasized that the significance of the decision is the understanding of the difficulties experienced by reservists. "We made a very important and not obvious decision - we reduced the number of reserve days to 40,000 instead of 60,000, to make things easier for reservists. This is the most important news. And in the midst of this, we are now bringing here the proposal for a decision to extend the benefits and add benefits to reservists. I convened the ministerial committee for reserve affairs, which I head. We have formulated the matters and we are bringing them."
"As noted, 6.2 billion additional to this thing, and the envelope is an envelope that takes into account the unique phenomenon of hundreds of thousands who come and serve and in fact their families who support, the businesses that support, it's all one whole that we come to help in order to continue this and so that Israel's security can continue to be in the same good hands. The reserve soldiers, along with the regular soldiers and the permanent personnel, are the ones who enable the Prime Minister and us to make the decisions. Bold decisions, decisions that changed the Middle East, that changed the status of Israel. Everything relies on the people. Therefore, the recognition today and the decisions today are decisions that strengthen the reserve soldiers, their families and the security of the State of Israel," said Katz.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich concluded, "As we said, we are not waiting for the budget to be approved. We are making sure that our reservists and their families do not have to wait a single day. And in the ongoing budget, we are also taking action today and implementing the large envelope plan. I want three short things: thank you, a request, and a promise. First of all, thank you to the reservists who are serving. People who left everything for over two years and are giving their all to the country. Thank you to the families of their champions, the families of the conscripts who are enlisting no less than them. Many thanks to the Minister of Defense for full cooperation and to the Prime Minister for end-to-end support.
"A request - make sure you don't miss out on any benefit you're entitled to. We're doing everything we can to push it to you. We're trying like credit points to make it automatic. Make sure you get everything and don't miss out on a grant, a vacation, a voucher, or a fighter card. It's yours by law and not by grace. And a promise - I know that what's really important to you beyond benefits is victory. That your great sacrifice will truly bring the State of Israel to enormous peaks of growth, prosperity, and security. We are committed to continuing to the end in all arenas and ensuring that on your backs, on your hands, on your shoulders, on your great dedication, the people of Israel will win."