Gallant presented discounts to the reservists - but their way to get them will be difficult - voila! news

A protest march against the transfer of state funds to ultra-Orthodox society from the Ayalon Mall to Bnei Brak. (Yotam Ronen, Michel Braunstein)

The Ministry of Defense will allocate only NIS 200 million to reward the reserve forces in light of the decline in motivation in recent years. Defense Minister Yoav Galant said Sunday morning that "this is a correction of a historic injustice. Without the reserves, the State of Israel has a problem defending itself in war and between wars. The reservists are elected, and unfortunately they constitute only a few percent of their peers, of the total population, who serve. The changes are a dramatic plan." However, this is a much smaller sum compared to the budgetary additions that the government plans to transfer to the ultra-Orthodox. In addition, servants will have to go a long way to achieve the limited discounts presented by the minister.

Following the decline in motivation to serve in the reserves, the IDF's Manpower Division conducted surveys of reservists last year. The surveys showed that the scope of reporting for reserve duty is 70-60% among the various units. According to sources in the ACA, in recent months there has been a significant increase in motivation to serve in the reserves, apparently due to the escalation in the various arenas, and when operational employment begins, there is no shortage of manpower.

The surveys revealed that the prevailing feeling is that reservists come to service because of a mission and values, but are not adequately compensated relative to the rest of society that does not serve. In addition, the reservists claimed that they felt a sense of unnecessity because they had not been employed in recent operations. Of all the civilians who served in the IDF in the regular army, only 7% of them serve in the reserve forces that bear the security burden.

Only 7% of the population serves in the reserves. Soldiers at the Gaza Strip border, this month (Photo: Flash 90, None)

Accordingly, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevy decided to change the rules of the game and expand the basket of benefits for reserve soldiers. The head of the ACA, Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor, said today, "The one leading the change is the chief of staff. This is a paradigm shift. An investment of 200 million in order to reach all active reservists (20 days in three years or 14 days in a year, A.B.).

"It was decided that reservists in combat would only be required for 75% of the time defined as active duty for the rear or combat supporters. It's a game changer." The head of the IAEA added that part of the sum will go to the reservists' benefits club "in salute," and will increase from NIS 15 million a year to NIS 31 million. He noted that the benefits will include discounts on municipal taxes and electricity by hundreds of shekels, funding summer camps and more.

He emphasized that on June 5, a ministerial committee will convene to approve the outline of the plan for the reserve forces, after which the budget will be submitted to the government for approval, assuming that a state budget is approved in light of the disputes within the government.

Meanwhile, there is still criticism within the reserve system about the lack of the scope of the reserves and the reserve naval budget for training. A battalion commander in the reserves said: "There is no dispute about the high level of motivation that reserve fighters will have to come to the various units during wartime. The big question is whether they will be reasonably fit to fight and fulfill missions. Then we can talk about benefits."

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