Bennett Unveils Plan Offering Up To 1 Million Shekels For Housing To Service Members

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has proposed a "revolution of service members" initiative, aiming to provide significant benefits to those who serve the state, while reducing funding for those who do not. The plan, which Bennett claims will cost 30 billion shekels, involves reallocating funds by canceling stipends for yeshiva students and other payments to individuals who do not serve in the military or work.

Bennett stated that the current system represents a "historical injustice" where those who contribute the most receive the least. He linked the plan to a critical shortage of personnel in the IDF, which he estimates at 20,000 soldiers, directly blaming Prime Minister Netanyahu for "financing draft evasion for 17 years in exchange for rule."

The proposed benefits include up to 1 million shekels for a first-time home purchase, 4,000 shekels per month for childcare for children up to age three, and a 50% discount on utilities, transportation, and government fees. Bennett pledged to anchor these benefits in the state budget, making them a permanent part of support for service members.

The funding for these benefits, Bennett explained, would come from canceling stipends for yeshiva students and other transfer payments, which he described as "fifty pipes built by Der'i and Goldknoppf to funnel money to draft evaders." He acknowledged the complexity of reallocating these funds, stating that it requires an experienced team familiar with the state budget.

Furthermore, Bennett's plan extends to a broader condition for receiving state funds: "Whoever does not serve, does not receive a shekel from the state. Whoever does not work, does not receive a shekel. Whoever does not send their children to state education, does not receive a shekel." He also called for a single state education system for all Israeli children and criticized the Haredi leadership for allegedly preventing English and mathematics studies.

Bennett set a goal of 28 days of reserve duty per year in routine times and predicted increased economic productivity and greater integration of the Haredi population into the workforce. He emphasized that implementing such a plan requires a government not dependent on parties like Der'i and Goldknoppf, framing the upcoming elections around the choice between "draft evaders or service members."