Israeli ‘Home Front’ soldiers and officers who take part in the evacuation of settlers from the Gaza Strip and the northern West Bank will be granted extra pay.
The bonuses will amount to about 15 percent of the soldiers’ and officers’ current salaries, according to a report on the Israeli online siteYnet News that was confirmed by Israeli military.
Soldiers assigned to the Israeli army’s Home Front units normally receive lower pay than soldiers performing combat duties, but officials at the army’s manpower department recently decided that Home Front personnel involved in settler evacuation should be put in a new category that would be rewarded by higher pay. Combat soldiers will not receive any bonus since they already enjoy high salaries.
The planned ‘disengagement’ from the Gaza Strip and four West Bank settlements has stirred deep divisions within Israeli society. Many opponents of the plan have called on Israeli soldiers and officers not to obey orders to assist in the withdrawal.
