Sara Netanyahu raises holiday cash for poor soldiers
Keren Hayesod-United Israel Appeal responds after conscripts complain they cannot afford to buy food for the holidays
Sara Netanyahu, wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, raised NIS 300,000 in vouchers for impoverished IDF soldiers ahead of the upcoming holidays, following last week’s publication of a letter from Israel Defense Forces conscripts detailing their economic hardship.
The donation came from Keren Hayesod-United Israel Appeal at Netanyahu’s request, and was transferred Monday to the charity A Warm Home for Every Soldier.
The prime minister’s wife had wanted to give each soldier NIS 1,000, but following a request from the army to spread the gifts across a larger number of troops, each soldier will now receive NIS 250 in vouchers to cover some of his or her holiday expenses, Maariv reported.
Netanyahu had seen the anonymous letter penned by dozens of soldiers, which was addressed to her husband, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon and the army leadership, and decided to take action. In it, the soldiers, some of whom had fought in the latest campaign in Gaza, lamented that many could not afford food for the holidays and had to either work during their off-base leave or take out loans from the bank in order to cover their living costs.
“Many of us fought in Protective Edge, and when the fighting ended, our struggle to survive began,” they wrote. “Many of us found that while they were risking their lives, their bank account was closed and now they can’t even take out 50 shekels. We need your immediate help.”
The authors said that they did not sign the letter because they were embarrassed to identify themselves and their families, and because they feared they could be punished for bypassing the chain of command to bring their plight to light.
“I went out [during my break] and I didn’t have money for a single cigarette, I really don’t have anything,” one of the letter’s signatories told Channel 2 on condition of anonymity. “I hope that now [IDF chief of staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz] will wake up — that somebody will just do something.”
IDF conscripts earn a very small stipend, from approximately $100 a month to $300, while the army is required to provide basic needs, such as uniforms and food, for the duration of their service.