"We're short on fighters even when the system is at its limit. Reservists will pay heavy prices"

Brig. Gen. Benny Ben Ari, the IDF's chief reserves officer, warns of unprecedented attrition in the reserve force nearly three years after October 7. According to him, despite a growth of over 130,000 service members, the system is at its limit, and reservists will pay heavy personal prices in family, employment, and studies due to ongoing uncertainty and overload.

Brig. Gen. Benny Ben Ari, the IDF's chief reserves officer, warns in a special interview with ynet of unprecedented attrition in the reserve force, nearly three years after October 7. According to him, since the war broke out, the force has grown by over 130,000 people—fighters and combat support—but the unbearable burden falls on the same hundreds of thousands who report again and again. "Every time there was a call-up, everyone we called came. The problem is that we no longer have the ability to create certainty," says Ben Ari. "The support system around them is already close to its limit." The chief officer describes a reality where reservists accumulate hundreds of service days per year, leaving behind families, workplaces, and studies. The employment sector is particularly problematic: 60 days of protection from dismissal is insufficient for private employers, and managers prefer employees who are available. "We are short on fighters, it's no secret, and the burden falls on the reserves. The IDF needs to be larger," Ben Ari states. The article notes steps taken to expand the force: extending the exemption age, reactivating inactive service members, and General Staff utilization days where 87%-94% of participants were assigned. Alongside this, assistance programs such as "Service Circle" and various grants have been launched. However, Ben Ari emphasizes that the long-term solution must include turning reserve service into a "national status" and expanding the regular army.