Lapid introduces financial aid plan for reservists

Opposition leader Yair Lapid introduced a detailed plan on Monday to aid reservists and their families financially.

The Yesh Atid leader presented his plan during a press conference prior to a faction meeting.

The plan begins with raising the salaries and bonuses for reservists. Lapid proposed to raise the minimum wage for reservists, which had already been raised at the beginning of the war from NIS 260 a day to NIS 300, by another NIS 100 a day. This would raise the minimum monthly wage from NIS 9,000 to 12,000.

The plan then includes extra raises depending on how many days reservists serve in a year. From the 33rd day, reservists would earn an extra NIS 200 a day and an additional NIS 400 from the 66th day.

In consideration of the mental challenges posed by being at war, Lapid also suggested partially funding reservists' psychological treatments with vouchers of NIS 220 an hour for up to 10 hours of therapy.

In order to protect reservists' employment, Lapid also suggested expanding the time in which it is illegal to fire reservists to up to 60 days after they are called up.

Aid for students in the reserves

The next step in Lapid's plan was to help reservists who are also students.

Firstly, he suggested expanding the IDF's scholarship so that soldiers who enlisted before July, 2013, would also be eligible. The plan also includes a 50% discount for reservists taking the psychometric test and for MAs as well as vouchers for vocational training.

In order to assist with the household, Lapid's plan includes a 90% discount on property tax (Arnona), free public transportation, the ability to buy properties in neighborhoods that would be set aside especially for reservists, and a discount voucher for a vacation in Israel.

The plan also includes aid for partners of reservists, allowing those with kids tax discounts for every kid under the age of 18, free daycares and schools during holidays, funding programs for kids under the age of three, and an extra eight days they can take off if their kids are sick.

Lapid also suggested a monthly grant for spouses of reservists and protection against them being fired for a month after the reservists are called up.

For reservists who own businesses, Lapid suggested a series of programs and grants to help them stay afloat as well as a refund on bills and taxes.

Lapid also included recognition of commanders as having managerial experience and recognition of IDF courses as vocational training.

"The reservists are the industrial force of the nation," said Lapid in the press conference. "They are the human group upon which the economy and national security is based. It's time to give national preference to the serving and working force of the State of Israel. It's time to support their families