Israel needs more soldiers and undertakes a massive mobilization of reservists

JerusalemThe war between Israel and Iran, now in its 27th day, has led the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to significantly bolster its manpower. Amid heightened regional tensions and the risk of a protracted conflict, the Israeli army has recruited new soldiers and massively mobilized reservists, a key element of its defense system, in a scenario marked by personnel shortages.

In early March, the Israeli government authorized the mobilization of up to 100,000 reservists, in addition to the approximately 50,000 already on active duty. According to military sources, these forces were deployed to reinforce multiple fronts: the border with Syria and Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank. The Home Front Command, the Israel Defense Forces unit responsible for protecting the civilian population and coordinating emergency response, also mobilized some 20,000 reservists, primarily for rescue and emergency operations.

Meanwhile, to continue the offensive in the north, the ground invasion of southern Lebanon, and the ongoing Iranian attacks, the government on Wednesday authorized a new ceiling of up to 400,000 mobilizable reservists, well above the current 280,000 approved in December. However, authorities admit that the actual number on active duty will be lower and that the aim is to have greater flexibility in managing troop rotations and the overall reserve as the conflict drags on.

The increase in reservists "is intended to meet challenges in various scenarios, especially within the framework of Operation Roaring Lion," the IDF stated. In non-emergency situations, the Israel Defense Forces can only mobilize reservists well in advance and cannot keep them on active duty for extended periods.

Meanwhile, the recruitment cycle for new soldiers for March-April is also still underway in the country, according to information obtained by the Israeli newspaper. Jerusalem PostDuring this period, thousands of new soldiers will be incorporated, including combatants, technology specialists, and support personnel.

Controversy over the ultra-Orthodox

This context brings to the forefront once again a structural problem: cases of military service evasion and draft evasion by a significant segment of Israeli society, the ultra-Orthodox Jews. According to data presented in January by General Shay Tayeb, head of the army's personnel department, a month before the conflict with Iran, 80% of Israelis classified as draft dodgers were ultra-Orthodox.

It is estimated that some 80,000 ultra-Orthodox young men between the ages of 18 and 24 are eligible for military service but have not enlisted, while the IDF warned a couple of months ago that they urgently needed some 12,000 new recruits due to the pressure on regular and reserve forces, according to the The Times of Israel.

Opposition to military service remains visible on the streets. This Sunday, several ultra-Orthodox groups gathered in Jerusalem to protest against mandatory conscription and associated control measures. The ultra-Orthodox community, which represents approximately 13% of Israel's roughly 10 million inhabitants, maintains that religious study is its primary contribution and rejects integration into military structures that it considers incompatible with its way of life.

Despite the urgent need to bolster the military, the government has once again postponed legislation on the conscription of ultra-Orthodox Jews with a bill that would codify blanket exemptions from military service for full-time yeshiva students—the Jewish religious school where students, generally male, engage in intensive Torah and Talmudic study. The aim of the measure: to ensure the passage of the state budget amidst the war.

With the support of the most ultra-Orthodox parties, key to a parliamentary majority, Netanyahu's government is confident it will approve an increase of more than €8.3 billion in the defense budget before the end of the week. If this happens, total military spending by 2026 will reach approximately €39.5 billion, close to 8.8% of GDP.