In a statement, the Finance Ministry said it intends to present the plan to Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Netanyahu “in the coming days” in order to bring it to Knesset for approval.
By ANNA AHRONHEIMAn IDF soldier sits on a beach in Tel Aviv(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)IDF soldiers discharged over the past year will receive an additional grant upon their release, including NIS 2,000 in funds as well as comprehensive training for those who wish to immediately enter the workforce.The announcement was made on Wednesday evening at “the request of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu... in order to give them the best toolbox and allow them to build for their future,” said Finance Minister Israel Katz. “Everything is being done to help them integrate and succeed in civilian life.”In a statement, the Finance Ministry said it intends to present the plan to Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Netanyahu “in the coming days” in order to bring it to Knesset for approval.A total of 75,000 soldiers are expected to be released by the end of 2020 and the total cost is estimated at NIS 120 million. The grant comes in addition to the NIS 500 that had already been given to newly released soldiers earlier this year.With many soldiers, including lone soldiers who have no family support in the country, discharged less than six months before the coronavirus pandemic, they do not qualify for unemployment benefits from the state because they have not accumulated enough time as citizens with employment.Ahead of the Rosh Hashanah holiday, the Defense and Finance ministries said that they would also allocate NIS 10 million to support some 2,000 discharged lone soldiers. With the funds, the soldiers, who were previously eligible for financial aid from the Defense Ministry received a third financial aid package for the sum of NIS 4,000.The previous two packages were distributed during the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak and in total the discharged lone soldiers will have received a total of NIS 12,000.According to the outline developed by the Defense and Finance Ministries and implemented by the Released Soldiers Fund, the amount of the deposit will be automatically wired to the veteran’s bank account that was in use at the time of their service. If the bank account has been changed or closed, they can receive the funds at the post office.The ministry Wednesday said that “dedicated professional training” for those discharged with new training tracks and placement tools which are expected to increase employment rates among the soldiers as well as an increase in salaries in industries where there is a high demand for manpower.The cost of extending the period of the work grant and professional training is estimated at tens of millions of shekels.Throughout the crisis, the IDF’s Manpower Directorate has received a surge in requests by soldiers to extend their mandatory service, even by just a few more months due to the lack of jobs available due to the economic fallout of the coronavirus.According to a report by Calcalist, “Soldiers who remain in the army beyond their mandatory service receive around NIS 7,000 a month, with young officers getting NIS 10,000. These sums aren't negotiable, but they aren’t taxed and are secure.”
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