Israeli army fires dozens of officers despite manpower shortage

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
19 Sep 2023 11:34

The Israeli military has laid off tens of officers in the past few months as part of plans to reduce the count of the regular forces.

Israeli occupation soldiers at the Quneitra border crossing in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, on March 23, 2019 (AFP)

The Israeli occupation entity is contemplating the cessation of retirement pension payments to military personnel, a move that is poised to foster a pervasive sentiment of "exploitation" and "betrayal" that is expected to spread among young officers, Israel Hayom newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Amid this backdrop, the newspaper pointed out that despite the major crisis facing the Israeli occupation army and the critical shortage of officers with the ranks of captain and major, the army has recently laid off dozens of major officers as part of a broader initiative known as "reducing regular forces."

Furthermore, Israel Hayom revealed that a portion of these dismissals falls under a specific retirement process that deducts retirement benefits from the salary of those who are approaching the age of 39. These individuals, after dedicating approximately 20 years to military service, have not received any retirement payments during that period, the outlet noted.

Adding to the complexity of this situation is the impact it has on those currently serving in the army despite the polarized political and social situation the entity is witnessing.

According to the newspaper, these individuals, who may already have doubts about their future in the military, now witness their peers being discharged without receiving retirement compensation—a stark contrast to the assurances they had been given by the establishment for years. Consequently, this latest development serves as an additional incentive for many to consider leaving the service, a decision that further jeopardizes the Israeli army's readiness and efficiency for potential future conflicts.

Moreover, the report echoed concerns previously raised regarding the Israeli occupation army's deteriorating human resource situation. The mass exodus of officers with the ranks of major and captain, with 613 major officers voluntarily leaving the army in 2022 alone, has led to a 70 percent increase compared to the previous two years (2021-2020).

All of these concerns existed before factoring in the dangerous developments of the past year linked to the judicial overhaul, which has led to thousands of reservists boycotting service entirely with more expected to join.

In light of these revelations, it becomes increasingly apparent that the army's justifications for these layoffs, under the pretext of reducing forces associated with only a few officers, do not align with the actual numbers.

Documents presented by the army itself reveal a much broader scope of dismissals. Over 140 officers were let go in the years 2021-2022 alone as part of the downsizing regular forces plan. This figure does not even account for those who are slated for dismissal in 2023, the newspaper said.

Israel Hayom concluded that the Israeli army's ongoing personnel crisis, coupled with the controversial layoffs of officers and the associated retirement issues, paints a complex and grim picture for "Israel" and its military.

The ramifications extend beyond individual officers to the readiness and effectiveness of the entire Israeli military apparatus, raising critical questions about the government's oversight and its impact on the entity's security.

The entity's most dangerous period

In the past few months, thousands of army reservists from critical units, on top of which is the Air Force, began declaring their refusal to show up for service until the judicial reforms introduced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government are suspended.

Last month, the Israeli occupation army admitted publicly for the first time that its war readiness has been severely impacted due to reservists in the Air Force refusing to serve. This has pushed the entity deeper into what was described by its officials and analysts as the most dangerous period it has ever witnessed.

Citing some reservists who have joined the boycott campaign, The Telegraph reported that they declared committing to protests even if the occupation entity enters a war, otherwise, their movement would become meaningless.

Recent anti-judicial reforms protests have positioned two political camps in the face of each other, with one being led by Netanyahu and the other by former Prime Minister Yair Lapid who also leads the opposition, in a head-butting competition.

Violent clashes are erupting on an almost daily basis between opposition supporters and police controlled by Netanyahu's allies.

According to the Israeli media, veterans of the Israeli elite units said earlier, "The situation in the army is worse than described, and the wave of refusal to serve extends from reservists to the permanent forces."