Many are calling the passage of the bill into law a victory for IDF reservists.

The Knesset on Monday, 12 Tammuz, passed in its third and final reading a law that will provide two academic credits to students who serve a minimum of 14 annual days of reserve duty.

The measure was a initiated by Education Minister (Bayit Yehudi) Naftali Bennet, MK (Kulanu) Merav Ben-Ari, and MK (Likud) Oren Hazan following a report by the Zionist organization Im Tirtzu.

The Im Tirtzu report revealed that the majority of institutions for higher learning opt not to provide students serving in active reserve duty with academic credits, despite being permitted to do so by law.

The report also discovered that according to the Council for Higher Education, an institution that awards credits to social activity is permitted to do the same for reserve duty, but only 16 out of the 63 institutions for higher learning in Israel have opted to do so.

“This is a historic day in which the entire society recognizes the hardships and sacrifices made by IDF reservists in order to protect the State of Israel and its citizens,” said Im Tirtzu CEO Matan Peleg.

“Reservists are the spearhead of Israeli society, ” added Peleg, “and we are very proud that our work led to this decision.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)