Bennett Warns IDF on Brink of Collapse Over Haredi Draft Exemption

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett issued a stark warning Tuesday evening, asserting that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is on the verge of collapse due to a critical shortage of soldiers, a situation he directly linked to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policies regarding the conscription of ultra-Orthodox men.

Speaking at the "Sukkot of Failure" event in Tel Aviv, organized by victims of the October 7th attacks and their families, Bennett criticized Netanyahu's recent warnings about potential enemy attacks. "Netanyahu is now warning that our enemies plan to attack us. But as long as he continues to encourage the mass exemption from military service and leads the IDF to collapse, who exactly will fight them?" Bennett questioned, highlighting a strategic security alert.

Bennett claimed the IDF is short 20,000 combat soldiers, a figure he stated the IDF Chief of Staff has repeatedly warned about. He accused Netanyahu, Aryeh Deri, and Bezalel Smotrich of ignoring these warnings. Bennett also alleged that the lack of personnel has tangible human consequences, citing reports from soldiers that insufficient numbers of observers and snipers are leading to increased casualties from drone attacks.

Furthermore, Bennett stated that extended deployment periods are compromising operational vigilance, with units sometimes forced to abandon captured positions due to a lack of soldiers to hold them. He warned that if the ultra-Orthodox are not integrated into military service in the next legislative period, the IDF "will simply collapse."

With elections approaching on October 27th, Bennett has made the draft issue a central theme of his campaign, vowing to generalize recruitment, cut funding to draft dodgers, and bolster army personnel numbers.