Israel announces new fund for military career personnel and their families
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich say fund will help personnel and their families affected financially and emotionally by war
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced a new assistance fund for military career personnel, deciding to promote the initiative which arose during the war.
"The career staff officers and personnel are the backbone of the command and professional structure in the IDF, and they are a central foundation in its ability to fulfill its missions and to realize its purpose, in routine times - and especially in times of war," Gallant said in a statement. "Precisely because of this, preserving a quality career system is a primary national and security interest."
"The decision we made in the Ministry of Defense and the IDF, with the support of the Treasury Ministry, is an expression of our commitment to our career staff men and women. It is another way for us to express our gratitude and appreciation to them and to their families who support them and share with them the mission of defending our country," the defense minister concluded.
The fund will assist families that have suffered economically as a result of the war-time service, such as in cases of loss or damage to the income of a spouse, as well as for exceptional household expenses such as psychological treatments for immediate family members, refunds for emotional treatments for children, and payments for treatment for children with special needs.
Smotrich said about the new fund for the career personnel, "in the last six months, the State of Israel has experienced one of the toughest upheavals we know. Civil service employees stood in the forefront of the fight for the State of Israel. These are months that required a persistent fight that with God's help will bring victory to the State of Israel.
"Families also pay a heavy price and provide support to the civil servants to continue their task for the sake of the state. Providing this support is of prime, ethical and practical importance. I have met with the families, listened attentively to their needs and the changes they have gone through, and we pledged to help ease the various hardships," the finance minister added.
The Military Career Families Forum said about the initiative, "Over the years, the military career families hold the fort out of a sense of mission and Zionism. Since the outbreak of the war, the families have been dealing with ongoing and unprecedented family, economic, employment, and emotional challenges."
"The Forum was established to encourage recognition and provide a support package for families during the emergency period. Within the framework of the Forum, we have acted above all else in order to achieve the goal."