Declining Morale and Rising Frustration in Israel’s Army

• OGN News
• Jun 02, 2024
• 7 Comments

A survey carried out by the IDF Manpower Directorate in May, as reported by Ynet and “Yedioth Ahronoth,” revealed a notable decline in career officers’ willingness to stay in service. Only 42% expressed a desire to continue their military careers, down from 49% in August 2023.

The decrease, occurring after nearly eight months of an unsuccessful war in Gaza, “stunned” senior army officials, according to Ynet. The Hebrew outlet added, “The drop in motivation is further evidenced by the increase in officers reaching out to the IDF retirement department during the war,” as noted by the Manpower Directorate.

In the same survey, officers were asked if they were satisfied with their salaries. Only 30% responded positively, in contrast to 60% of private sector employees who felt the same way, indicating “anger and frustration among the service members.”

The survey confirms that officers are exhausted from the war and frustrated with its impact on their family lives. Both male and female officers complain about infrequent family time and insufficient compensation given the long hours and stress they endure.

It also highlights that the primary reason for their reluctance to continue serving is the “sense of failure” they experience. Ynet reported, “The sense of failure haunts the officers, and they don’t want to serve in a failed organization.”

The survey was conducted in the same month that Haaretz reported an increase in suicidal tendencies among the army ranks, with ten Israeli soldiers having committed suicide since October 7.

Many officials have expressed devastation over the failure to prevent Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7. Last month, Aharon Haliva, head of Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate, resigned due to this failure.

Frustration has continued to build since then, as nearly eight months have passed since the start of the war, and the Israeli military is no closer to achieving its stated goals of eradicating Hamas and retrieving its prisoners held by the resistance in the Gaza Strip.