Racism on the Battlefield: How Israel’s Army Is Forcing African Asylum Seekers into Conflict

By: M. Sharifi

Nearly a year has passed since the outbreak of the war in Gaza. Prior to this conflict, the Israeli regime's military had no experience with protracted warfare, as most of its battles with resistance groups were resolved within a short span. However the protraction of the Gaza war has plunged Israel into a war of attrition bringing with it catastrophic repercussions for Israel.

The prolonged conflict in Gaza has exposed a critical manpower shortage within the Israeli military. So severe is the situation that amid the ongoing battles in Gaza and the looming possibility of war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, Israel’s Minister of War- Yoav Gallant- recently issued orders to recall individuals who had previously been exempted from military service.

The Israeli army also informed conscripted soldiers who were nearing the end of their mandatory service that they would be required to serve an additional four months.

This decision to summon previously exempted soldiers comes as Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the military is struggling to prevent the exodus of its personnel, exacerbating its already dire manpower crisis. According to this report, 900 officers holding ranks from captain to major, have applied for discharge from the military this year alone—compared to the previous average of 100 to 120 annually.

Extending conscription periods and calling up reserve forces have failed to resolve the Israeli military's manpower crisis, leading the regime to resort to hiring non-Israeli soldiers. In a revelation by Haaretz the Israeli military has allegedly recruited Africans as mercenaries to fight in the Gaza Strip.

In addition, the Israeli military with the full knowledge of its top brass has exploited the vulnerable legal status of African asylum seekers, forcing them into military service in Gaza. Despite their participation in the conflict many of these asylum seekers have not been granted residency status.

In an openly racist and opportunist move, Israel has coerced asylum seekers whose plight is being manipulated, into fighting a war that is not theirs, in an army that does not belong to them. By using African soldiers as human shields, Israel has taken yet another step toward violating the Geneva Conventions. In response Hamas released a statement denouncing Israel’s actions, stating: "This underscores the profound moral crisis of this rogue regime, which flagrantly violates the most basic human rights by exploiting the needs of migrants and refugees forcing them into war to shield its own army from losses in the face of the courageous resistance of our people in the Gaza Strip."

Conclusion

The Israeli regime has long sought to solidify its presence in the Palestinian occupied territories through artificial nation-building, but this endeavor has resulted in the creation of a population with a fabricated identity, one for whom the future of the land they call their own holds little significance. Consequently, the protracted war in Gaza has left Israeli soldiers demoralized and ineffective, leading to a significant manpower crisis for the Israeli forces. In this context, the organized recruitment of African mercenaries, overseen by the military’s legal advisors, is being executed without regard for the ethical implications of exploiting vulnerable refugees. Indeed, the Israeli army’s use of African asylum seekers in the Gaza conflict starkly illustrates the depth of the moral abyss into which this criminal and rogue regime has fallen.