Special Report: The Zionist military is struggling to find new troops as fewer young Israelis are willing to serve

By: H. Zaïm-Bashi

In light of the deteriorating security situation, the Zionist military authorities are worried that fewer young Israelis will be inspired to enlist.

According to findings from an internal poll conducted by the Israeli Army's Department of Behavioural Sciences and published by the Hebrew daily Israel Hayom, motivation for recruitment among Israeli youth is rapidly waning. The survey, which interviewed around 40% of the military, discovered that in 2022, troops were less enthusiastic about engaging in combat missions than in the past few decades.

While 73% of men in 2020 indicated they were interested in serving in combat roles, that number dropped to 66% in December 2022. The decline is even more severe among women; in 2022, only 48% of female conscripts were eager to serve in combat, down from 50% in 2021, 53% in 2020, and 60% in 2018. The end-of-year survey results will be much lower if these patterns continue.

There have been times when the percentage of young people interested in serving in the armed services was lower than 65%. The Zionist army, for instance, reported that just 33.3% of the population supported the Second Lebanon War.

In the meantime, the Knesset has resumed its debate on the military service law. In a desperate effort to increase recruitment, Benny Gantz and Gadi Eizenkot submitted the "Israeli Military Service" bill to the Knesset. The Netanyahu-led Likud Party, however, has declared, "Currently, there is no agreement on the conscription law."

Simultaneously, the Zionist Army has submitted an initiative similar to Gantz's, including shorter service periods, higher wages, and financial benefits for the Reserve and veterans. According to Gantz, the Israeli army is Israel's bulwark and the most vital social institution, but new information suggests that this institution will be in danger in the not-too-distant future.

Gantz continued by arguing that the army plays a critical role in maintaining security and that Israel needs both an army to protect the country and an army of the people to secure its strength. Highlighting the Zionist army's importance, Gantz noted that "this military structure plays a vital role in strengthening the cohesion of society and improving military capacity. We plan to reduce the military exemption age from 26 to 21 years, including Haredi Jews." It is worth noting that Haredi Jews' exemption from military service has long been a contentious topic in Israel for quite some time, and this might provide an additional challenge for Netanyahu's fragile administration. Over half (58%) of Israelis favour the proposed law that would exempt ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service, while 25% are opposed, and 17% say they do not know.

Conclusion 

In addition to the judicial reforms and the weekly rallies by nearly 200,000 people across the occupied territories, the army and former War Minister Gantz have proposed exempting Haredi Jews from military service, which could present Netanyahu with yet another formidable challenge.Reducing the exemption age from 26 to 21 may cause new tensions within the cabinet and, in the case of Netanyahu's refusal, may also lead to Haredi public protests.