Smotrich intervenes after IDF reservists told they have to repay government for gifted vacation vouchers

By Sam Sokol 6 August 2025, 10:10 am

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Sam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"

The IDF assures reservists that they will not have to reimburse the government for vacation vouchers issued as a reward for their service, after multiple troops received messages demanding retroactive repayment for part of the benefit.

According to Hebrew media reports, reservists received messages informing them that their eligibility for the vouchers had been recalculated and that they should contact the Finance Ministry to service their new debts.

In early 2024, the cabinet approved a NIS 9 billion ($2.5 billion) wartime assistance program for the hundreds of thousands of IDF reserve soldiers mobilized in the wake of Hamas’s brutal attack on October 7.

This package included the provision of vacation vouchers valued at NIS 1,500-4,500 ($413-$1,240).

In a statement, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says that the demands for payment have been canceled as a result of his intervention, sending reporters a copy of an IDF letter to reservists stating that “no debt will be collected from a reservist as a result of a change in the method of calculating entitlement.”

The IDF “appreciates the tremendous contribution of reservists and the support of their families. We apologize for the inconvenience caused and are working to ensure that each service member receives an appropriate and fair response,” the letter adds.