100,000 reservists are sitting at home — we need to bring them back to service | Yitzhak Brik

Maj. Gen. (res.) Yitzhak Brik warns that the IDF is retreating from the 'yellow line' in Lebanon to the 'gray line' due to the erosion of the ground forces, after three years of fighting without reserve forces. He calls for expanding the ground forces, immediate recruitment of 100,000 reservists, and equipping with advanced weaponry, while sharply criticizing the political and military echelons.

Maj. Gen. (res.) Yitzhak Brik warns in a sharp opinion piece that the IDF is retreating from the 'yellow line' in southern Lebanon to the 'gray line' due to severe erosion of the ground forces. According to him, after a series of chiefs of staff cut the ground forces by two-thirds over the past twenty years, no reserve forces remain to replace the troops who have been fighting for three years. Brik claims that the forces are thinly spread across all sectors, are not training, are wearing out, and can no longer bear the burden. He warns that it is only a matter of time before they collapse to the 'black line,' the northern border of Israel, and residents will return to complete insecurity. Brik calls for four urgent steps: immediate recruitment of 100,000 reservists who are sitting at home, expanding the ground forces, equipping with advanced weaponry (powerful laser, over a million drones, a missile corps, and multi-barrel air defense), and establishing a dedicated command headed by a major general. He sharply criticizes the political and military echelons, claiming he warned for years about the deterioration, submitted accurate reports that predicted the catastrophe, and his recommendations fell on deaf ears. Brik also attacks the candidates for prime minister, arguing that none of them presents an operational plan to address the country's dire situation, and they settle for populist statements.