The cry of the reservists: Reservists in Gaza and the northern arena were surprised to discover this week that the compensation granted to them for reserve days by virtue of the law ceased after 60 days of fighting. The reason: According to the existing law, beyond 60 days of reserve duty per year, only those with higher ranks of company commander and above are compensated with continued remuneration, while soldiers are required to make do with an alternative to salary.
Documentation from the training of reserve division battalions (archive) // IDF Spokesperson
While the law refers to routine days when reservists are not required to volunteer for the army, the Iron Sword War enters its 70th day tomorrow. In other words, for ten days now, soldiers who are entitled to additional compensation have been fighting shoulder to shoulder and those who simply are not.
The problem also reached Finance Minister Smotrich's doorstep by appeals from reservists to him and to members of the coalition. They promised a substantial basket of benefits to compensate for the lacuna in the law, but ten days without that reward – it is still unclear when the Ministry of Finance will be able to formulate the same benefits that will be granted to reservists since the 61st day of the war.
A soldier stationed on the boiling northern border who asked not to be identified told Israel Hayom that "it is sad to discover that there are those who allow the separation of royalties between the fighter and the commander. They both left home on the morning of the holiday, both in the same pit, walking in the same mud, both in one long day that has been going on for more than 65 days, but it turns out that there are those who think it's okay for one to receive financial royalties and the other not. Anyone who doesn't wake up may discover that this is exactly where the reservists' protest will begin."
Promise a substantial basket of benefits to compensate for the lacuna in the law. Bezalel Smotrich (archive), photo: Oren Ben Hakon
Inquiries received by coalition members since the beginning of the week included the "compensation table" detailing the absurd situation whereby a gap in payments has been created for soldiers who serve shoulder to shoulder for almost 70 days. According to the table, what is defined as "special remuneration" will be given to those who serve 60 days or more to commanders only – NIS 133 for a full reserve day or NIS 66.5 for half the day, in addition to the salary substitute that all soldiers serving in the reserves receive. This is a considerable cumulative sum to which tens of thousands of soldiers have not been entitled for ten days.
Behind the scenes, it turns out that the staff work led by the Finance Minister's team is already being done in order to formulate an alternative remuneration basket for all soldiers, but has not yet matured into a decision. When asked by Israel Hayom, the minister's office said, "We are building a very broad basket for reservists as well as reservists. The minister sees this as a supreme goal at this time, and the ministry's bureaucracy needs to come back with answers about the procedure and the costs required to actually issue it."
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