Israel equalizes military service for male, female soldiers

JERUSALEM, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya' alon approved on Monday on equalizing the period of compulsory military service for male and female soldiers.

According to a plan, which was originally proposed by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Benny Gantz, the military service of men will be shortened by four months as of July 2015, said a statement released by the minister's chambers.

Under the plan, both male and female soldiers will serve 32 months instead of three years for men and two years for women.

"The reason for this move stems from operational needs as well as understanding of the trend and the national need for equality in military service," the Defense Ministry's statement read.

However, the plan would not include combat soldiers and those serving in special roles, which will serve three years and get higher compensation fees.

According to calculations conducted by the Finance Ministry, the planned move would save the treasury NIS 1.5 billion (0.42 billion U.S. dollars).

The plan, which should be finally approved by the cabinet, is another step further in transforming the Israeli army to a professional one, according to the statement.

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