BICOM

IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz yesterday expressed concerns that the proposed legislation to reform the military draft and make it more equal, will in reality leave the IDF with a manpower shortage.

Last week, a special Knesset committee approved proposed legislation, which passed a first Knesset reading in July, requiring that all but 1,800 full-time ultra-Orthodox seminary students be required to enlist in either the IDF or civilian national service once they reach the age of 21. However, those drafted now will be able to delay their enlistment until aged 24, meaning that the law won’t be fully implemented until 2017.

The draft law also calls for a reduction in service for men from 36 to 32 months, a one month increase for Zionist seminary students and no increase in service time for women. As a result, IDF sources are widely quoted predicting that the army could suffer a shortfall of 10,000 soldiers until 2017 at least. The IDF Manpower Directorate presented a position paper to the Knesset on the issue in May.

Speaking during a tour of the Golan Heights yesterday, Gantz lamented, “We present them [the Knesset] with our professional truth, but we don’t get to vote,” in the Knesset committee. He commented that, “The IDF presented its needs and explained the rationale, and when [the MKs] make their decision, we will also present the ramifications. The political level isn’t subordinate to the operational level; that’s how it is in a democratic country.”

A senior IDF told Haaretz, “I’m very worried … We said that everyone should serve, we presented a comprehensive package under which if they wanted to shorten service, it would have to be longer for others.” Given the concerns, earlier this month, Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon is thought to have asked the Knesset committee dealing with the legislation to vote again on shortening military service for men.