Israel Faces Criticism Over Housing Benefits for Reservists
Israel is facing criticism for its housing policies that offer significant benefits to reservist soldiers, even those who already own homes, while potentially disadvantaging those without any housing. Early in the recent conflict, the state introduced substantial incentives for reservists, including priority in tenders, preferential treatment in housing lotteries for attached-to-ground homes, and significantly reduced prices, amounting to a million shekel benefit for each reservist.
While the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Construction and Housing emphasized the importance of rewarding soldiers, the policy has drawn fire from housing-deprived citizens nationwide. These individuals acknowledge the reservists' contributions but argue that the current system excludes them from discounted housing lotteries, which are now primarily reserved for reservists. The policy also stipulates that only those without existing property can enter these specific lotteries.
However, the situation is more complex in Israel Land Authority (ILA) tenders. Here, housing-deprived combat reservists receive top priority, but combat reservists who already own homes receive nearly the same discount as those without property, with a difference of only 13,000 shekels in one examined tender. This raises questions about the logic of providing substantial housing discounts to reservists owning multi-million shekel properties, compared to individuals struggling financially.
According to the ILA, reservists with existing homes are indeed prioritized. The article questions whether the lottery's goal is to reward all reservists, regardless of their housing status. It appears the state prioritizes reservists, even those with valuable properties, over the housing-deprived. The ILA's documentation indicates that combat reservists generally receive priority over local reservists, and any reservist, including those with homes, can be considered housing-deprived under certain definitions.
An examination of a specific tender revealed that a combat reservist owning a home paid 40,000 shekels for land, while a non-combat reservist without a home paid 27,000 shekels. The article argues this minimal difference is negligible and that even non-combat reservists with homes would likely enter the lottery hoping for such a price. The original intent to reward those who risked their lives is acknowledged, but the implementation by the ILA, Finance Ministry, and Housing Ministry is seen as flawed, failing to address housing distress and distorting principles of distributive justice.
