Hours before the Passover holiday on Wednesday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir issued an unusual letter to government officials, warning of a growing manpower crisis and calling on lawmakers to “fulfill your responsibility” by advancing urgent legislation to support both regular and reserve soldiers.
“The central challenge we face in the current campaign is the expansion of IDF missions,” Zamir wrote, pointing to the need to defend border communities while proactively eliminating threats. He stressed that the military must be able to operate with “initiative and offensiveness” across multiple fronts.
Zamir warned that a decision to shorten mandatory service, despite his "clear demand over the past year to extend mandatory service," would result in “serious harm and a decline in the IDF’s order of battle,” including a shortage of thousands of combat soldiers and support personnel. “The heavy price will be paid by reserve soldiers and their families, who are a vital asset of the IDF,” he wrote.
In his letter, Zamir called for the immediate advancement of three key laws: a temporary extension of mandatory service, an amendment to the reserve duty framework, which he said “is not suited in its current format,” and a revised conscription law aligned with the army’s operational needs.
The IDF must grow, Zamir warns
“In light of expanding missions in the coming years and the IDF’s determination to carry them out with excellence, the IDF must grow,” he stated, adding, “We need a large and strong army.”
The remarks come alongside recent reports that Zamir warned ministers in a security cabinet meeting of a potential manpower crisis, saying he was “raising red flags” over the situation.
The letter also addressed a controversial decision to suspend the Netzah Yehuda reservist battalion from operational activity following a serious incident involving assaulting a CNN crew in the West Bank earlier this week.
Addressing the move, Zamir stressed that “the decision was not influenced by media reports, but stemmed from responsibility for military norms,” adding, “the soldiers deviated from expected standards, and the decision was made "from a place of strength, not weakness."
He clarified that the unit was not disbanded but reassigned for retraining and remains on standby, framing the step as part of a broader effort to reinforce discipline and values across the military.