Paternal leave bill clears hurdle

According to bill, paternity leave would be made up of three paid vacation days, five sick days paid by the employer.

Father and son 521 (photo credit: Israel Weiss)
Father and son 521
(photo credit: Israel Weiss)
A bill giving fathers eight days off of work after their children are born progressed Sunday, when it was authorized by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation.
MK Tamar Zandberg (Meretz) submitted the bill, which reached a first reading in the previous Knesset and was proposed by now-Housing and Construction Minister Uri Ariel.
According to the bill, paternity leave would be made up of three paid vacation days and five sick days paid by the employer.
"Israel is advancing in women's rights during pregnancy and childbirth, but we are far behind when it comes to paternity leave," Zandberg said. "Parenthood is a joint right of both parents and is not just a mother's job."
The Meretz MK said her bill will allow fathers help take care of their children and connect to them as early as possible.
"The entire modern world encourages a model of egalitarian parenting, and the government's support for this bill is the first step toward changing the view of parenting in the Israeli work world," Zandberg added.
Ariel said the bill will help thousands of couples and allow fathers help their wives at an important time in their lives, and offered to help Zandberg pass it as law quickly in any way he can.