Reserve soldier crisis erupts in Israel!

As Israel's attacks on Gaza, launched following Hamas's October 7 attacks, pass the one-year mark, it is reported that serious fatigue is setting in among reserve soldiers in the army. It is also pointed out that finding new recruits for the army has become difficult due to the new front opened in Lebanon.

Israel, which has lost 367 soldiers since the ground operation in Gaza began on October 27, has also lost 37 soldiers in Lebanon, where it entered on the grounds of fighting Hezbollah.

'WE ARE DROWNING'

According to reports by DW Turkish, while the duration of reserve duty has been extended due to operations, some reserve soldiers are complaining about not being able to return to their normal lives for periods reaching up to six months. A post on X by a reserve soldier named Ariel Seri-Levy saying "We are drowning" has gained traction. Stating that he has been called to duty four times since the October 7 attacks, Seri-Levy referred to those who want Israel to remain in Gaza and Lebanon, saying, "We must end this war because we have no soldiers left."

Although the Israeli government provides a minimum income guarantee for reserve soldiers, many self-employed individuals have had to shut down their businesses due to the war.

Another reserve soldier who spoke to the French news agency AFP said that on top of the fatigue and low morale he experienced, he also lost his job. Stating that he spent about six months of this year in Gaza, the reserve soldier said, "Society (benefit) is still above the individual, but the price of this is very heavy for my family."

In addition to mandatory military service, which is three years for men and two years for women in Israel, men serve as reserve soldiers, including regular military exercises, until they reach the age of 50.

WILL THE MILITARY EXEMPTION FOR ULTRA-ORTHODOX JEWS END?

The ongoing war has also fueled public debate regarding the conscription of Ultra-Orthodox Jews, many of whom are exempt from mandatory military service. Under a regulation adopted in 1948, when Israel was founded, which covered only 400 people at the time, it was decided that Ultra-Orthodox Jews would be exempt from military service if they dedicated themselves to studying sacred Jewish texts.

According to the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI), the number of Ultra-Orthodox Jews today has reached 1 million 300 thousand, making up 14 percent of the Jewish population in Israel. According to the army, approximately 66 thousand people of military age are exempt from this duty.

However, last June, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that the government could not continue this exemption 'without an adequate legal framework' and decided that yeshiva (Torah school) students should be conscripted. Ultra-Orthodox political parties in the coalition government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have called for a framework to be established before the budget vote to be held at the end of the year.

Approximately 2 thousand wives of reserve soldiers, who are part of the religious Zionist movement in the country and aim to integrate their religious lifestyle with military service, have signed an open letter demanding that 'the burden on those serving in the military be eased'.

News Source: 12punto