During a Knesset plenary meeting held on Monday, the second and third reading of a bill was passed allowing soldiers to use their release-grant for any use upon their discharge from the army amid the economic crisis brought on by the coronavrius, reports Ynet.
Following their release from the army a soldier receives a government grant normally allocated for use only in personal betterment, such as for use in educational programs, starting a business, or getting married. However, the new bill allows for released soldiers to apply for use of the grant for any use up to three months after the date of July 20.The amount approved will be entirely approved depending on the amount of time that has elapsed since a soldier's release.
In June the government passed a similar bill allowing soldiers to withdraw up to NIS 4,000 to be used for any reason, due to the financial crisis brought on amid the coronavirus pandemic.
At the time the new policy was expected to last for only two months, however, as the virus continues to take hold, so too does the financial crisis, hence the government's unanimous vote on Monday in favor of passing the new bill to financially aid former soldiers.The release grant, allocated to be used for personal betterment during regular times, generally differ's in amount depending on where the soldier served and the length of their service. It can be withdrawn up to five years after a soldier gets discharged, and ranges anywhere from NIS 3,300 to about NIS 25,000 according to the Defense Ministry website for released soldiers.