(No. 79)
	DISCHARGED SOLDIERS LAW, 5744-1984*
Definitions.	1. In this Law -- "the Defence Service Law" means the Defence Service Law (Consolidated Version), 5719-1959(1); "discharged soldier" means a person discharged after serving in regular service in the Israel Defence Forces or the Border Police under the Defence Service Law for a period of at least two years in the case of a man and for a period of at least a year-and-a-half in the case of a woman, as well as a person discharged before the expiration of the said period by reason of invalidity within the meaning of the Invalids (Pensions and Rehabilitation) Law (Consolidated Version), 5719-1959(2); "preferred employment" means employment in a place or type of employment designated by the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs with the consent of the Minister of Finance and in consultation with the Labour and Social Affairs Committee of the Knesset; "vocational training" means vocational training for the purposes of preferred employment, provided within the framework of an institution recognised for that purpose by the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs with the consent of the Minister of Finance.
Other military service.	2. The Minister of Defence may prescribe that for the purposes of this Law or of part thereof there shall also be regarded as a discharged soldier - (1) a person who volunteered for the Israel Defence Forces and served therein for a prescribed time; (2) a person discharged from regular service in the Israel Defence Forces or the Border Police under the Defence Service Law who does not meet the requirements of the definition of "discharged soldier" in section 1, all subject to the conditions and restrictions prescribed by the Minister of Defence with the consent of the Minister of Finance.
National service.	3. A woman who terminates a period of service of at least two years in national service as referred to in paragraph (2) of the definition of "child" in section 5 of the National Insurance Law (Consolidated Version), 5728-1968(3), shall, for the purposes of this Law, be regarded as a discharged soldier.
Permanent service in the IDF.	4. Where after the period of service required of him under the Defence Service Law a person continues in permanent service in the Israel Defence Forces, the date of termination of his first period of service shall be regarded as the day on which he becomes a discharged soldier: Provided that for the purposes of sections 9 and 11 the date of his discharge from permanent service shall be regarded as the day on which he became a discharged soldier.
Duration of entitlement.	5. The rights of a discharged soldier under this Law shall vest in him for three years from the day on which he becomes a discharged soldier.
Precedence as to assignment to preferred employment.	6. A discharged soldier shall, as regards assignment by employment bureaux under the Employment Service Law, 5719-1959(4), to any preferred employment requiring resort to employment service bureaux under the said Law, take precedence over a person who is not a discharged soldier. Precedence under this Law shall prevail over any priority right under the said Law or any other enactment.
Priority as to acceptance for employment.	7. In a tender competition for employment held under any enactment, priority shall be given to a discharged soldier taking part in the competition over a person who is not a discharged soldier, provided that he possesses all the qualifications specified in the conditions of the competition and that his relevant data are not less favourable than those of the other participants.
Vocational training.	8. (a) A discharged soldier shall take precedence over a person who is not a discharged soldier as regards admission to vocational training provided by or on behalf of the State, so long as he meets the requirements for admission to such training. (b) A discharged soldier shall be entitled to partial exemption from tuition fee for vocational training, on conditions prescribed by the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs with the consent of the Minister of Finance. Where vocational training is provided otherwise than by or on behalf of the State, the Treasury shall contribute to the tuition fees to the extent of the amount of the exemption to which the discharged soldier is entitled. The exemption and the Treasury's contribution shall be within the limits of the amount prescribed for this purpose in the Budget Law for the financial year in question. (c) The provisions of this section shall be in addition to, and not in derogation of, the provisions of sections 127K, 127M and 127P of the National Insurance Law (Consolidated Version), 5728-1968.
Completion of secondary education.	9. Where a discharged soldier completes his secondary education at an educational institution managed under the supervision or with the approval of the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Treasury shall bear 75 per cent of the tuition fees approved by the Minister of Education and Culture by rules with the consent of the Minister of Finance.
Admission to institution of higher education.	10. A discharged soldier shall, as regards admission to a particular course of study and to students' hostels at an institution for higher education, within the meaning of the Council for Higher Education Law, 5718-1958(5), take precedence over a person who is not a discharged soldier, provided that he possesses the qualifications required at the institution in respect of that course and those hostels.
Loan for post- secondary studies.	11. (a) A discharged soldier admitted to studies at an institution of higher education within the meaning of the studies. Council for Higher Education Law, 5718-1958, or at some other post-secondary institution recognised for that purpose by the Minister of Education and Culture shall be entitled to a loan to help him finance the tuition fee, in accordance with criteria and rules prescribed by the Minister of Education and Culture with the consent of the Minister of Finance. (b) The Minister of Finance shall prescribe the conditions of repayment of a loan as aforesaid.
Housing loan.	12. Where a discharged soldier is entitled, under rules and procedures applying thereto, to a loan by or on behalf of the State for the purpose of housing, the amount of the loan shall be increased at such rates and on such conditions as the Minister of Construction and Housing shall prescribe with the consent of the Minister of Finance.
Amendment of the Income Tax (Concessions to Discharged Soldiers) (Temporary Provisions) Law.	13. In the Income Tax (Concessions to Discharged Soldiers) (Temporary Ac provisions) Law, 5741-1981(6) - (1) in section 1(1), in the definition "entitled employee", the figure "1983" shall be replaced by the figure "1984"; (2) in section 2- (a) in paragraph (1), the figure "5/12" shall be replaced by the figure "6/12""; (b) in paragraph (2), the figure "5/24" shall be replaced by the figure "4/12"; (c) the following paragraph shall be added at the end: "(3) 2/12 of a credit point in respect of every whole month out of the next twelve months of his work in employment as aforesaid.".
Implementation and regulations.	14. The Government is charged with the implementation of this Law and may make regulations for its implementation.
	YITZCHAK SHAMIR Prime Minister CHAIM HERZOG President of the State
	* Passed by the Knesset on the 2nd Tammuz, 5744 (2nd July, 1984) and published in Sefer Ha-Chukkim No. 1121 of the 11th Tammuz, 5744 (11th July, 1984), p. 188; the Bill and an Explanatory Note were published in Hatza'ot Chok No. 1687 of 5744, p. 278. (1) Sefer Ha-Chukkim of 5719, p. 286; LSI vol. XIII, p. 328. (2) Sefer Ha-Chukkim of 5719. p. 276; LSI vol. XIII, p. 315. (3) Sefer Ha-Chukkim of 5728, p. 108; LSI vol. XXII, p. 114. (4) Sefer Ha-Chukkim of 5719, p. 32; LSI vol. XVII, p. 29. (5) Sefer Ha-Chukkim of 5718, p. 191; LSI vol. XII, p. 222. (6) Sefer Ha-Chukkim of 5741, p. 145; LSI vol. XXXV, p. 157; Sefer Ha-Chukkim of 5743, p. 59; LSI vol. XXXVII, p. 61.

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SOURCE: "Laws of the State of Israel: Authorized Translation from the Hebrew, Volume 38". Government Printer, Jerusalem, Israel (1948-1989), p. 263.

(C) Israel Law Resource Center, February, 2007.