The Israel Defense Forces Manpower Directorate, in strategic partnership with the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, has launched a new national initiative designed to rapidly integrate new immigrants (olim) into key military reserve roles.
Titled “Olim Al Bet,” the program offers a condensed, two-week basic training track that allows older immigrants, aged 26 and older, to enlist as reservists and utilize their professional expertise for national security.
According to the official project outline, the initiative was born out of a dual necessity: the operational needs of the IDF during a time of war, and the “strong desire of many olim to contribute to the state’s security"—an opportunity that was previously unavailable to them through standard enlistment tracks.
The program targets immigrants who possess a basic command of the Hebrew language. Unlike the standard mandatory draft that can last years, “Olim Al Bet” is based on the Shlav Bet (Phase B) model, meaning a shortened basic training course lasting approximately two weeks.
Upon successful completion of this training, participants are assigned to specific units as full-fledged reservists and commit to active reserve duty for about five years, subject to the needs of their respective units.
The initiative emphasizes that participants are guaranteed financial security during their service, as reserve duty days are fully recognized and compensated by the National Insurance Institute (Bituach Leumi).
The next draft date is scheduled for February, marking the immediate implementation of this strategic effort.
‘A set list of jobs’
The core logic of the program is to leverage the professional and academic capital that older immigrants bring with them. Rather than placing them in general infantry roles, the IDF is directing these recruits into specific, high-demand sectors where they can have an immediate impact, including in medical professions, technology and maintenance, and roles in the Home Front Command and the Israeli Logistics Corps.
The overarching goal, according to the mission statement, is to enable olim arriving at an older age to “share in the responsibility of defense, feel a full sense of belonging, and apply their professional experience within the ranks of the IDF.”
Sgt. 1st Class “Y” (full name withheld), a project manager in the Planning and Manpower Directorate who made aliyah from Los Angeles, told JNS that the project is the result of a grassroots swell of demand meeting urgent military gaps.
“I don’t even know who I could give credit to for how it started because there were so many people who came to us and wanted to do it.”
He noted that the program existed more than two decades ago, but emphasized that the current version is far more targeted than previous versions.
“The main difference being that it’s more focused on really answering specific needs of the army,” he stated. He described the program as “really a set list of jobs ... that the army really needs.”
“Y” revealed that his team went “branch by branch” through the IDF to identify exactly where personnel were missing in the reserves.
“Everyone would love more reserve soldiers. The question is where? Where could we be the most helpful in the most immediate way?” he said.
Many of the roles identified are a direct result of lessons learned during the Swords of Iron war that began following the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. “Y” highlighted a need for social workers and mental-health professionals as a prime example.
“The whole idea of a position that is specifically therapists and social workers … was an idea that I don’t think started just in this war, but we suddenly saw that we really need a lot more than what originally was in the Home Front Command,” he said.
“Specialized doctors and similar roles are very hard for the army to get. It’s people who have passed a lot of years of training. It’s not necessarily something you can immediately draft.”
Beyond the technical needs of the army, “Y” stated, “olim want to come to Israel and be a part of the community and be a part of helping and be a part of the mission of the Israeli people.”
Regarding the training, “Y” explained that the two-week course is adapted for a more mature demographic.
“It covers all the basics, learning how to shoot in a very basic sense, first aid, the spirit of the IDF, the basic principles and ideas of discipline and how the army should run, while trying to do this as fast as possible, people are working, they have their lives, and this is a way to get them into reserves, not conscripted service,” he added.
‘A Zionist act of the first order’
Col. (res.) Dr. Hanan Shai, a research fellow at the Misgav Institute for National Security and Zionist Strategy, told JNS that the initiative addresses a fundamental reality: the IDF needs more people.
“First of all, this confirms what we know… that we need every available person,” Shai said. “From the perspective of the IDF, it is clear that this is a most important addition.”
Shai argued that for the immigrants themselves, military service remains the ultimate gateway to Israeli society. “From the perspective of the olim, there is no faster way to be Israeli than in the army,” said Shai.
He pointed out that the army must carefully manage the integration process to maximize benefits for all involved.
“One needs to see that they are not concentrated [in one place] but dispersed, so that there is a matching [to roles] as there should be,” he advised.
Shai believes the government should leverage this program not just for manpower, but as a Zionist recruitment tool to encourage further immigration.
“We need to show this as a Zionist act of the first order,” Shai said.
He suggested that the state could offer additional incentives, such as assistance with housing, to those who serve.
“Maybe we can take care of them in a more assertive way so that they have an apartment for themselves or their family,” he proposed, adding that frameworks for boosting service conditions already exist.
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