Israel: government proposes paid paternity leave allowance of between two weeks and one month

On 11 May, Israel’s finance minister Avigdor Lieberman and transport minister Merav Michaeli announced the government’s plan to introduce paid paternity leave. Under the existing law, a mother may share her entitlement to 15 weeks of maternity leave – paid by social security – with her spouse, however The Jerusalem Post reports that only around 1% of men exercise that right. The paid paternity leave allowance will be between two weeks and one month, beginning 15 weeks after the birth of the child, if the mother returns to work. “This is an important day for all of us in the battle for equality on all fronts. During the first months of an infant’s life, the bond between parent and child is formed, as well as gender roles and stereotypes,” says Merav Michaeli. The Israeli government’s other stated aim is to combat wage inequality, given that women are paid 28% less than men after the birth of their first child, while the overall wage gap stands at 23%, according to a study by the country’s finance ministry. The government has not yet said whether the new right will apply to all couples or only to heterosexual couples. The measure, included in the 2023 budget, still needs to be approved by the Knesset, where the coalition government led by national conservative Naftali Bennett no longer holds a majority of seats. It would then come into force at the beginning of next year.