During a discussion that took place yesterday, (Sunday) Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich, officials at the Ministry of Finance, the IDF Aid Fund, and the Ministry of Defense decided to expand monetary benefits for reservists in the IDF.
First, it was agreed to expand the maternity leave grant, so that every female reservist whose maternity leave ended either within the reserve period or up to one month after its end will receive the grant whether or not she extended the maternity leave or not. Every female reservist will now get at least one month of maternity leave with her husband also home.
It was also agreed that the maternity leave allowances and unemployment allowances will be allotted in net amounts and that if the tax authority decides that reservists are liable for tax on that allowance, the tax will be paid by the treasury.
In addition, it was agreed that compensation for the self-employed will be given starting in January for a period of six months after the first release from army service in order to compensate for future losses caused as a result of extended reserve service.
Finance Minister Smotrich welcomed the decision: "As I stated, we are changing priorities and placing the reservists first. We have launched a program of nine billion shekels for the reservists and are constantly learning and improving it as we go. We will continue, with God's help, to increase benefits packages for reservists until we're victorious in this war," he was quoted as saying.