Former PM Bennett Warns of IDF Collapse Due to Draft Evasion

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett delivered a stark warning at the "Failure Tent" protest in Tel Aviv, asserting that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is on the verge of collapse due to a severe shortage of soldiers, a situation he attributes to widespread draft evasion.

Bennett directly criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of encouraging mass draft evasion and dismantling the military. He stated that the IDF lacks sufficient personnel to defend Israeli citizens against the threats Netanyahu himself warns about. Bennett cited the IDF Chief of Staff's issuance of ten "red flags" regarding the shortage of tens of thousands of soldiers, which he claims Netanyahu, along with ministers Deri and Smotrich, are ignoring.

Speaking with soldiers and officers, Bennett reported that the troop shortage is costing lives. He relayed accounts of soldiers being injured and killed by drones due to a lack of observation posts and snipers. He also noted that prolonged combat operations exhaust soldiers and impair their operational readiness, leading to situations where troops must abandon positions due to insufficient numbers, forcing repeated recaptures.

Bennett specifically warned that if the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) population is not integrated into military service in the upcoming term, the IDF will collapse. He accused Netanyahu and Deri of planning to continue exempting draft evaders and allocating billions of shekels to them in the next government. Bennett urged citizens to recognize that voting for the current coalition is a vote against IDF soldiers and reservists.

During his visit, Bennett also spoke with former hostage Yocheved Lifshitz and Matan Tsengauker's mother, Einav Tsengauker. Tsengauker criticized Netanyahu for ignoring warnings from various security officials and international parties prior to the October 7th attacks, stating that the families present paid the price for this failure. She accused Netanyahu of employing fear tactics to distract from his responsibility for the "greatest failure since the establishment of the state" and called for his removal from decision-making positions regarding Israel's security.