’Israeli’ Military Budget Cuts: Reserves Taken off Combat Operations

Local Editor

At the end of an "Israeli" army staff meeting focusing on the military budget cuts, "Israeli" Chief of Staff Benny Gantz decided to call off reserve unit combat operations over the coming year.

Four reserve units that were supposed to report for duty in the next two weeks were ordered to call off operations.

By the end of the year, military operations for some 70 more reserve troops are expected to be cut down, which will save hundreds of millions of shekels. Servicemen are expected to replace reserve units in the operations, which may compromise the frequency of training for on-duty troops.

Meanwhile, exercises for many "Israeli" units will be reduced to basic training, including the Home Front Command, the Engineering Corps and the Artillery Corps.
Before the cuts were introduced, the "Israeli" army was expected to call off 4,000 officer positions and bolster technological, intelligence and Air Force units. In light of the cuts, 1,000 more positions will be discontinued.

Though the Finance Ministry suggested that NIS 4 billion be cut from the military budget, only NIS 3 billion will be cut, prompting grim predictions regarding potential harm to the army's capabilities.

In parallel, "Israeli" Minister Moshe Ya'alon said Monday that "The army needs long-term plans, and once you don't have a multi-annual plan, we have a problem. At the moment we are facing a crisis. In order to make it through 2013-2014, we have to cut down reserve days, reduce reserve training and combat operations, and as a result overload on-duty soldiers. We are preparing for a very challenging 2014."

Source: Ynet, Edited by website team