Facing troop shortages, Israel eyes recruitment from US and France

According to Israel’s Army Radio on Monday, the proposal would target major Jewish communities overseas, particularly in the United States and France, with the aim of enlisting around 700 recruits annually.

The shortage has compounded wider problems for Israel’s armed forces, including equipment deficits and a reserve system strained by months of fighting in Gaza.

Many reservists have also reported psychological issues and exhaustion linked to the genocidal war.

The move comes as the military struggles with a shortfall of 10,000 to 12,000 troops, driven largely by the refusal of ultra-Orthodox Jews, or Haredim, to serve.

For decades, Haredi men who account for about 13 percent of Israel’s population of 10 million have been exempt from Israel’s mandatory military service to pursue full-time religious studies.

However, a 2023 ruling by Israel’s high court ended these broad exemptions, prompting the military to begin enforcing draft orders amid growing troop shortages.

Haredi leaders have accused the Israeli regime of violating their religious beliefs and threatening their way of life.

In July, the Israeli daily Maariv said senior commanders had, for the first time, admitted to the scale of the depletion, estimating a gap of about 7,500 soldiers. Battalion leaders cited crushing workloads, with some signaling plans for early retirement.

 The Israeli regime was also reportedly luring around 30,000 asylum seekers from African countries to the army by offering them permanent residency in the occupied territories.

An Israeli military investigation has found a rise in suicides among its soldiers, with the majority of the cases being directly linked to the profound psychological trauma and exposure to extreme conditions experienced during the genocidal war in Gaza.

The findings indicated that most suicides stemmed from prolonged exposure to combat, traumatic battlefield experiences, and the psychological toll of losing comrades.

Despite attempts by the Israeli army to censor reports of suicides and the surrounding circumstances, evidence continues to emerge of a sharp increase in such cases. Media outlets have suggested that the actual number of suicides may be even higher than reported.

The army has reportedly been burying some of these soldiers without military funerals or public announcements, in a desperate effort to conceal the extent of the crisis.

In recent months, a growing manpower shortage has prompted the Israeli army to recall soldiers diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The reports have highlighted a deeper mental health crisis within the Israeli army, revealing that thousands of soldiers have sought assistance from military mental health clinics or field psychologists.

With Zionist regime’s war in Gaza entering its 22nd month, soldiers increasingly report experiences of war trauma, family issues, and psychological distress.

Abu Obeida, spokesman for the military wing of Hamas, the Qassam Brigades, recently warned that if Israel chooses to continue with the “war of extermination,” it will face increasing funerals for its soldiers and officers.