According to Israeli media reports, the Israeli military has decided to reduce the duration of reserve service following a significant drop in enlistments. In detail, Israeli news channel i24 revealed that the army plans to reduce the reserve battalion's operational service period from an average of 20 weeks in 2024 to just 9 weeks in 2025.

It said, "The Operations Command has decided to consolidate the reserve service into one continuous period, rather than splitting it up, to reduce the pressure on reserve soldiers."

In this context, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the military is concerned about a 15% to 25% decline in reserve service participation.

The newspaper detailed that this concern emerged in recent weeks within the combat brigades operating in the Gaza Strip and along the northern front during the war in Lebanon, emphasizing that it influences the military's operational decisions.

It also confirmed that, according to the Israeli military's estimates, the primary reason for the decline in reserve service is "increasing fatigue and the extensive use of reserve soldiers," a trend expected to persist until 2025.

Decline in Israeli reserve army recruitment rates

The aforementioned fears are further exacerbated by figures that show a significant decline in recruitment rates for the Israeli Army’s reserve forces, recent data reported by Yedioth Ahronoth showed.

The newspaper indicated a notable increase in the number of soldiers refusing to join reserve forces, with rejection rates reaching around 15-25% recently. This trend has raised concerns within the military, particularly as it affects frontline units in Gaza and on the border with Lebanon, potentially altering operational decision-making.

With reserve recruitment rates initially standing at 100% at the start of the war on Gaza in October 2023, they have dropped to around 75-85% in recent weeks, the data further showed.  This decline has reportedly alarmed military leaders, impacting their decisions regarding military actions on both fronts.

The report attributed the decrease in reserve enlistment to the protracted duration of the war, which has severely affected the soldiers’ morale, not to mention that many reservists are also eager to return to their families and academic lives, especially in light of delays in receiving their full financial entitlements.

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Likewise, Israeli Channel Kan reported a sharp decline in reserve enlistment rates in the army in recent weeks, compared to the start of the war on October 7, 2023.

The channel quoted senior Israeli military officials who explained the reasons behind the sharp decline, attributing it to the "burden felt by reserve soldiers, the fatigue from a war lasting over a year, and the fact that large segments of Israeli society are not participating in the war effort."

Kan continued, "Reserve soldiers face difficulties. On the one hand, they want to contribute to the front, and on the other hand, they work to preserve their lives."

"Many of them miss their families or have lost their jobs," it said. "The realization that without a significant increase in the number of soldiers in regular service in the Israeli army, the situation will not improve, further complicates the situation," according to the Israeli channel.

Less than 4% of Haredim ordered for recruitment joined: 

On October 28, Israeli Army Radio reported that preliminary data on the Haredi recruitment process indicates that less than 4% of the 3,000 recruitment orders issued to Haredi youth since last July have resulted in individuals joining the military service.

Commenting on the recruitment of Haredim, Avigdor Lieberman, the head of the Israel Beiteinu party, criticized the government for its handling of the situation. He highlighted the opposition of Haredi factions to the recruitment law and their failure to comply with it. Lieberman asserted that "the army is violating the law" and emphasized that "Gallant must ensure that the law is applied to everyone." This was his position before the Security Minister was sacked. 

"The government has extended regular service by four months and reserve service by a year," Lieberman told the Israeli website Ynet. He added, "No more quotas, targets, and exemptions—one people, one conscription," emphasizing that "the entire system of quotas must come to an end."

He added that he expects both the Chief of Staff and the head of the "Anti-Corruption Authority" to adhere to the law, stating, "The vast majority of Likud voters and religious Zionists support a single conscription law for all. We have never known how to move forward and make a decision—that's the essence of the matter."

In contrast, Yuli Edelstein, chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, told Yedioth Ahronoth, "I have not changed my position. I stated from the beginning that either a conscription law is passed, or nothing is passed. I am engaging with both the IDF and the Haredim."

He added that the army needs to address the gaps in numbers, "It is demanding 10,000 soldiers but is willing to accept only 3,000."

Haredim to Netanyahu: We will not pass the government budget before passing the draft exemption law

On their part, Haredi parties have threatened to block the passage of regular legislation, including the general budget until a law exempting Haredim from military service is enacted. Yedioth Ahronoth reported that this could lead to a new crisis for the government.

The Haredi parties declared that no legislation unrelated to wartime issues would be advanced until the conscription law was enacted and the budget for housing religious students was finalized. Israeli media reported that Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir supported the Haredi stance, stating, “Against coercion, for military service.”