In a discussion held today (Monday) in the Knesset Finance Committee, the self-employed reservists presented the heavy economic difficulty they face alongside the complexity of their service. "I serve 25 years in the reserves, 87 days in Gaza, I come back from activity in the early morning, open the computer and try to save the business." Finance Ministry representatives presented a compensation plan that will be submitted to the government for approval on Sunday. "Every reservist will receive the full cycle, we will fully compensate."
Major (res.) Assaf Mor in the Finance Committee, photo: Knesset Spokesperson's Office
The discussion that took place dealt mainly with extending the compensation regulations for businesses throughout the country. Representatives of the Tax Authority claimed that no proceedings were being taken against reservists who did not meet the payments, and the director of the authority called on those against whom action was taken to contact him personally.
Major in the reserves, Assaf Mor: "I am 45 years old and have been serving in Nahal for 25 years, married and father of four from Tel Aviv. By profession I treat Chinese medicine, I am self-employed. When I'm not in business, he doesn't work and loses money. As the owner of the largest complementary medicine center in Israel, which has existed for five years, I suffered two crises during COVID-<> and now I am in the reserves. Last year in October there were only seven working days, the business grew so I didn't get a grant.
"I come from Gaza after 87 days, I'm a deputy commander in a team of elderly people with a lot of experience, after we finished a mission in the early morning, we open computers and try to save our businesses. In the morning you get a mission and leave it all. We're slowly starting to break down, we're taking out a loan to pay taxes, I can't keep the business going, and business is starting to break."
The discussion in the Finance Committee. The reservists will receive a postponement, photo: Knesset Spokesperson's Office
Coalition Chairman MK Ofir Katz in a discussion of the Finance Committee,
Kfir Batat, Deputy Budget Director at the Ministry of Finance, replied that the Ministry of Finance is changing its conduct regarding reservists: "There is going to be a track similar to Operation Protective Edge, very similar to the cycle track. A reservist will receive the full cycle. It will also be possible to submit a few months or six months after the period. The intention is to fully compensate. Until now the intention was to touch those who fall between the cracks, I agree that whoever has been in Gaza for 87 days will not be able to approach and ask."
In light of reservists' claims that they were required to pay high taxes before receiving compensation, the Ministry of Finance noted that the plan would change the picture of compensation for reservists, Shai Aharonovitch, director of the Tax Authority, added to this and related to the fact that there is an order not to take proceedings against reservists: "In general, to date, about 230,30 requests for compensation for indirect damage and about <>,<> for direct damage have been submitted. It must be remembered that these are volumes that the state did not know. We are trying to provide a response and we understand that there was a delay, we are making the effort."
Major (res.) Assaf Mor. "You accept a mission and leave everything," Photo: Knesset Spokesperson's Office
The Ministry of Finance also noted that the reservists program is intended to provide a response to the vast majority of cases, and that "the aid fund works to provide a response to special cases, this is the goal of providing additional solutions." The Tax Authority also noted that "this morning we received the names of reservists who were injured, in order to give them priority in handling their cases."
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