Chair of the Otzma Yehudit Knesset faction, MK Yitzhak Kroizer, submitted a bill in collaboration with the Reservists – Generation of Victory movement aimed at supporting and encouraging the integration of reservists into agriculture and settlement.
The bill has received approval from the Knesset’s legal advisory department and is expected to be brought before the Ministerial Committee for Legislation after the Passover recess.
During Operation Iron Swords, reservist farmers were forced to leave their homes and farms for extended periods, sacrificing their personal and family security for the defense of the country.
Beyond the personal, social, and emotional toll, they suffered significant financial damage due to the suspension of their agricultural operations. Agriculture in Israel is a challenging field to begin with—especially for farmers operating in isolated farms. However, the war intensified these difficulties, preventing some from harvesting the fruits of their labor and resulting in substantial business and reputational losses.
The goal of the law is to ease the recovery of farms that were harmed and to support reservist farmers while strengthening Israeli agriculture, encouraging reserve service, and aiding regions where robust agricultural activity was devastated by the war, such as the Gaza border area and the northern frontier.
In doing so, the law aims to reinforce two vital, interconnected values that contribute significantly to the country: extended reserve military service and Zionist Israeli agriculture.
The explanatory notes of the proposed bill emphasize: "It is proposed to establish that an active reservist working in agriculture, or someone employed by an active reservist in agriculture, on agricultural land located in confrontation line areas, will be entitled for one year to the same rights granted to those employed in preferred employment under the National Insurance Law."
According to the proposed law, an agricultural producer who is an active reservist will be entitled to a 20% increase in the water quota allocated to them by the Israel Water Authority.
Additionally, a reservist who has served over 80 reserve days during the following year and works as an agricultural producer will be eligible for a grant of up to 10,000 NIS for the purchase of agricultural equipment.
The bill also seeks to require the Settlement Division to allocate land in national priority areas for the establishment of individual farms by active reservists.
MK Yitzhak Kroizer, who sponsored the bill, stated: "Reservist farmers are the backbone of Israeli settlement. They combine meaningful reserve service with agricultural work, ensuring the country's food security and our grip on the land. This bill is intended to strengthen reservist farmers, support them, and encourage more reservists to join the world of agriculture. Strengthening agriculture is a national interest, and the way to do it is by empowering the farmers themselves—those who lead the Israeli economy forward on every front."
Staff Sergeant (res.) Omer Ben Hamo, Deputy Director General of the "Israeli Reservists – Generation of Victory" movement, stated: "We commend MK Kroizer for advancing this important piece of legislation. Strengthening agriculture and reservists is a top priority. It’s time for the State of Israel to show appreciation for its reserve soldiers. Supporting reservists and farmers—especially at this time—serves more than ever as a reinforcement of the Zionist enterprise as a whole."