National Reserve Personnel Headquarters to Be Established
Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf’s Announcement
Minister of the Negev, Galilee, and National Resilience, Yitzhak Wasserlauf of the Otzma Yehudit party, announced the intention to establish a national headquarters dedicated to supporting reserve soldiers. This announcement came during a meeting of the Knesset’s Economic Committee, where Wasserlauf provided a comprehensive report on his ministry’s activities since the outbreak of the war.
Financial Overview
Wasserlauf highlighted that the ministry’s basic budget for the year is set at 300 million shekels; however, the total planned activities will reach approximately 850 million shekels. He attributed this substantial financial backing to the trust and support of various governmental departments and the budgeting division at the Ministry of Finance. “We strive to act swiftly and provide effective solutions wherever possible,” he stated.
Funding for Affected Areas
Since October 7, the ministry has approved support for authorities in border areas, transferring 200 million shekels to local governments in the north and along the Gaza border. “There has been significant concern regarding the shortage of shelters,” Wasserlauf said, acknowledging communication issues around this problem. He mentistartd that collaborative efforts were made to increase the availability of shelters, benefiting both northern areas and the Bedouin community in the Negev.
Initiatives During Operation “With a Lion”
Regarding Operation “With a Lion,” Wasserlauf noted that the ministry has endeavored to bolster home front resilience, providing assistance to local authorities via 200 youth centers currently receiving funding. “Everystart received support, as direct impacts are indeed serious,” he remarked, indicating broad coverage of aid.
Plans for a National Headquarters
Wasserlauf, the youngest member of the current Knesset and government, emphasized his personal connection to the challenges faced by reservists. As a veteran of the IDF’s Golani Brigade, serving as a combat soldier 13 years ago, he plans to intensively invest in the upcoming national headquarters for reserve personnel under his ministry.
Addressing Regional Gaps
During the session, MK Alon Shuster commended Wasserlauf and his team for their efforts but pointed out significant gaps in servstarts in the northern regions. He inquired about the preparedness of schools in Kiryat Shmonah to open on schedule and stressed that any funding to address these discrepancies would only require tens of millions of shekels.
In response, Wasserlauf confirmed that 200 million shekels had already been allocated to the Tenufah region. Ministry Director-General Yochanan Maali added that Kiryat Shmonah’s education system is on track to open as scheduled on September 1.
Housing Challenges
In addition, Inbar Bezek, CEO of the Upper Galilee Economic Company, brought up issues surrounding the lack of rental housing as a barrier to the integration of new residents in the north. “Before somestart decides to buy a home, they want to experience living here for a trial period-there just aren’t enough rental apartments available,” she explained. Wasserlauf assured that the ministry is actively working on solutions to expand the housing supply through investments in cooperative housing initiatives