Dr. Hanna Katan Says Israel Lacks Enough Soldiers and Must Broaden Recruitment

In a video column, Dr. Hanna Katan argued that Israel does not have enough soldiers and that the burden of the war is falling on too few reservists and volunteers. She said many fighters have been brought back into reserve duty after being kept out of the system for years without justification, under a policy that, in her words, denied what was happening and left the situation to simmer for “two and three quarters years” of war.

Katan said the country’s sons are serving repeatedly, volunteering gladly and leaving behind large families for long periods. But, she added, they are also telling their mothers that if there were enough troops, they would not have to face situations in which so many children are left alone, families are disrupted, livelihoods and studies are abandoned, and the soldiers are effectively turned into “a kind of mercenaries.”

She called for a serious effort to recruit those reservists who were excluded from reserve service over the years, and said this should not apply only to them. According to her, all populations that are not taking part in the war without a justified reason must become part of the effort.

Katan concluded that despite pride and faith in the justice of the cause, family life still matters. She said children, marriage and a stable home life need basic stability, and urged an end to the current arrangement.