“And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: ‘Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the congregation; and divide the prey into two parts: between the men skilled in war, that went out to battle, and all the congregation…’” (Numbers 31:25-27)

A Knesset Research and Information Institute document presented this week to the Knesset  Immigration Absorption and Diaspora Committee shows that the monthly rent stipend provided to IDF soldiers without families is insufficient.  According to committee chairman chairman Yoel Razbozov (Yesh Atid), these funds must increase.

There are currently 3,200 lone soldiers serving in the IDF.  1,500 are from the Former Soviet Union, another 1,300 are from the US and the rest are from other countries.  These soldiers are entitled to monthly rent stipends, which were assessed six years ago at  NIS 1,448-NIS 1,649 per soldier and have not been reevaluated since.  Rental rates, meanwhile, have risen considerably.  Additionally, no differentiation is made between soldiers stationed in Tel Aviv, where rent is astronomically high, and those on the periphery, where it is much lower.

Chaya Adler, head of the Service Conditions Department in the IDF, said the monthly allowance lone soldiers receive for their other expenses would go up next year by 21%, but the rent money would not increase.

Other concerns regarding the rights of lone soldiers were addressed in the meeting, such as access to services or changes in entitlements for lone soldiers who marry.

Ya’acov Danon, head of the IDF department in the Immigration and Absorption Ministry, identified guidance as one of the most important services the army could offer lone soldiers, but noted,  “people who provide moral support [to lone soldiers] are missing in my opinion, and it would be great if there were more of them and they were more present.”

Another complaint came from three couples, of whom at least one member of each was a lone soldier.  They discussed the loss of certain benefits when they got married.

“After getting married, a lone soldier can’t live with three or four roommates and needs even more help with rent,” Menahem Semel, a former lone soldier, said. “We also lose the benefit of a free flight abroad to visit our families.”

Razbozov urged a change in the rules so that they would apply to married lone soldiers as well as unmarried individuals.

Ultimately, Razbozov said, “we want to give lone soldiers a good experience in their army service and time in Israel so they convince their families to move here, too.”  He called on the government and the IDF to make it easier for lone soldiers to learn about and understand their rights.