Proper reward

The new Knesset plan to reward student reservists for their patriotism by granting them two academic credits without their actually having to engage in academic activity is certainly a wonderful way for society to show its appreciation, “Knesset advances bill granting academic credits to reserve soldiers”, June 27.

But what about the many individuals who do annual reserve duty, yet unfortunately aren’t enrolled in any institution of higher education?

We might exempt these commendable citizens from paying fines for traffic and parking violations during the full year in which they do reserve duty.

We could let them move to the front of the check-out line in supermarkets. We could free them from the obligation to tip in restaurants.

We could allow them to avoid the inconvenience of security checks at the entrances to buildings or enclosed parking garages.

The list of irrelevant and unfair rewards for reserve duty is surely quite long, and the beauty of most of them is that the government wouldn’t be required, God forbid, to shell out any money!

Obviously, the proper way for the government to reward reservists would be to pay them more for the devotion and personal sacrifice they exhibit by doing reserve duty. MAYER BASSAN Jerusalem