The time has come for the government of the State of Israel to take care of its reserve soldiers serving in the Israel Defense Forces. Reservist combat soldiers are collapsing in their personal and professional lives after more than 200 days of miluim (reserve duty). At the beginning of the war against Hamas, there was an effort by the government and the public to support reservists, but they now seem to be forgotten.
The main challenges faced by the typical reservist can be split up into four categories: mental health, employment, familial relationships and studies. In my reserve unit, the Alexandroni Brigade (which has served more than 220 days in the Gaza Strip and northern Israel), and in almost every other combat reserve unit, friends and colleagues I have spoken with are struggling with these difficulties and others. Much of the aid that the government provides to reservists doesn’t differentiate between reservists who served 30 days and those who served 300. Changes must be made to make the assistance reservists receive dependent on the number of days they have served.
Every person who serves in the reserves reacts differently, but many have issues they carry with them that they must address to function. Some reservists are dealing with intense post-traumatic stress disorder, while many more soldiers are facing problems like anger, impatience, lack of empathy and feelings of indifference that can’t be overlooked. The state offered a grant of NIS 1,500 for psychological treatment to those who served more than 30 days in reserves. These funds help for only a limited number of treatments. Many reservists have spent more than 200 days in Gaza and the north, and if they want to deal with their mental-health challenges, they will have to pay out of their own pocket for treatment.
When exiting combat zones, soldiers go through a limited number of group sessions with mental health professionals to discuss their experiences and learn coping strategies. This is a great resource for soldiers straight out of combat and it should be expanded. Some soldiers will attempt to create a dialogue with the professionals they meet, while many who need assistance will not. Increased funds need to be provided to set up an infrastructure that addresses both severe and minor mental health issues that are impacting many reservists but are being neglected.
The professional impact on reservists is profound and multifaceted. Many reservists hold senior positions in their workplaces, such as managers and team leaders, and their extended absences often lead to their responsibilities being transferred or their positions filled. For those in junior roles or newly hired employees, their career advancement has been halted and they risk being replaced. Unemployed reservists put their job search and family life on hold when they saw that Israel needed them most. Lastly, students and those who recently graduated need to get hired in junior positions to secure their future careers, but in serving in the reserves, they choose their country before themselves. Self-employed individuals and small-business owners face additional challenges as their businesses suffer from their prolonged absence.
The government has implemented measures such as salary payments as well as limited support for small businesses. However, accessing these benefits has proven challenging due to bureaucratic obstacles. Small businesses can apply for funds through a dedicated government bank (Keren Siyua) but the response is slow in coming and operational funding is only available after extended delays.
It is difficult to blame the companies and businesses that are pushing reservists aside by demoting or choosing not to promote them or by refraining from hiring reservists altogether. Businesses need to be profitable, and it is completely logical for them to demand that their managers and employees show up consistently and show a preference for employees who will not disappear for months at a time.
To address these issues, the government needs to introduce a comprehensive support system that includes tax benefits, subsidies and incentives to encourage companies to hire and retain reservists. Tax breaks and other financial aid should be provided to both businesses and reservists to mitigate the career impacts of extended service. Much of the same is true for spouses of reservists who bear the entire weight of their household when their husbands go to war.
The State of Israel provides a grant of NIS 1,500 for couples therapy for reservists who have served more than 30 days. Many couples have used that for activities they can do together to strengthen their relationships. The state has also held events and given vouchers for movies and other activities that can be done with family members. Different costs like babysitting, house repairs and others can be submitted to the government bank fund (Keren Siyua) for reimbursement.
More focus needs to be given to the mental health of children of reservists and their relationships with their parents who have gone to serve. The government announced a paid vacation for reservists of NIS 1,500 for those who served more than 60 days, with an increase for reservists with children. This is very important as it would give families a chance to have relax and bond together at a destination like a hotel or guest house of their choosing all around Israel. While the plan was promised months ago, it has been delayed indefinitely and doesn’t differentiate between reservists who served for 60 days and those who have given much more of their time.
Since Oct. 7, many university students have been in uniform. Some student reservists have chosen to postpone their studies, while others are struggling to keep up with their degree track. Personally, before the war all my grades were in the 90s, now I am barely breaking 80s in my courses. During miluim, many reservists, like myself, are unable to study and the second we return home, we put every other pressing part of life on hold to try our very best to learn the material and pass our exams.
Universities don’t contact the reservists or proactively assist in any way; the initiative must come from the student who returned from Gaza alive just a few days before. When a student does contact the university after more than 200 days in reserves, they realize that the help and guidance being offered are not enough.
The class coordinators, who can give the returning reservist the tools and aid they need, often claim they are unable to assist and send the student to another office in the university. Thus, the bureaucratic ping-pong begins for the returning warrior. When the reservist reaches the correct person, they explain to him that he isn’t eligible for assistance in course “x” because of fine print (that it’s a first-year course or math course, etc.). For me and many others, reserve duty has damaged our GPAs and will surely hurt our chances of being accepted to future jobs and master’s programs.
In March, the government introduced a support program for reservist students, offering partial relief but capping it at 100 days of service. When the plan was released, the number of days being accommodated was within the range of service done by many reservists, but there are many reservists today who have served many more days than the plan accounted for. (My unit, for instance, has served more than 220 days.) Today, five months after the plan was introduced, since many combat reservists have been called two, three or even four times, with many serving over 200 days, the plan is surely insufficient.
The program included a small number of academic credits, the option to take tests at home in limited courses and exemptions from some assignments. Additionally, a grant of NIS 11,296 towards partial tuition costs was provided for those serving over 60 days in combat, though this amount did not scale with longer service periods. The process to receive these funds has been cumbersome, with many reservists still awaiting payments. These allowances were a lifesaver to student reservists, but they are simply not enough. Also, there is no oversight or enforcement to ensure the universities execute the plan.
These issues are hurting reservists and damaging their morale and willingness to serve. The incentives put forth months ago need to be expanded and to correlate with the number of days served. Many allowances were helpful, but there is also room to do more, like providing extra time on tests, offering tutoring and creating an infrastructure that ensures the student warriors get what they need to complete their studies.
In the list of grants provided by the government almost all the benefits for reservists are for those who have served for more than 30 days, and there is no increase in benefits for those who have served for 150, 200 or even 250 days. This is true of the grants for marital and psychological therapy, vacations, student aid, the self-employed and more.
Many will argue against any further assistance to reservists. I want those same people to feel what it is like to go into Gaza while being under mortar fire or shot at and seeing friends blown up or holding the injured in their arms. I want them to understand what it is like to have their families not sleep for months and have their lives halted because they are sacrificing everything for others.
There must be an open dialogue on these concerns, and I hope that there will be a fundamental change so that we don’t collapse from the great price we are paying. I and many others will continue to show up for reserves as many times as we are called because we know that our country and Jewish people need us.
