Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has issued a sweeping indictment of the current government, warning that “the country is falling apart” . He argues that critical battlefield gains are being forfeited due to a severe manpower shortage, even as the state continues to fund exemptions for able-bodied ultra-Orthodox men .

Here is the breakdown of the claims and the evidence supporting them:

📉 “We capture territory and then we’re forced to withdraw”

Bennett argues that the IDF lacks the troop strength to hold the ground it seizes in Gaza and Lebanon.

• Personnel Shortage: Bennett has repeatedly stated the army is short by at least 20,000 soldiers . Military officials have confirmed a shortfall of at least 15,000 troops .
• Operational Consequence: Due to this shortage, Bennett claims soldiers are “forced to conquer a point but cannot stay there,” leading to withdrawals that prevent strategic victory .

🕋 “100,000 young, healthy Ultra-Orthodox men who are not serving”

Bennett highlights the demographic disparity between those fighting and those exempt from service.

• The Unused Reserve: Bennett explicitly stated there are “100,000 young, healthy ultra-Orthodox who could enlist” .
• Lack of Mandate: The government has delayed passing legislation to mandate ultra-Orthodox conscription, fearing political backlash from religious coalition partners .
• Call to Action: Bennett argues that even enlisting “one-fifth of them” (20,000 troops) would immediately solve the IDF’s manpower crisis .

💰 “The government is giving them billions”

Bennett argues that the state is financially enabling draft evasion.

• Funding Exemption: He has advocated cutting off “dozens of money channels” that fund yeshivas (religious schools) for those who do not serve .
• Budget Priorities: Critics note that the proposed exemptions come as the government allocates billions of shekels to ultra-Orthodox institutions .
• Political Barrier: Bennett claims that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has “sold out” the religious Zionist soldiers who serve in order to protect political funding for the ultra-Orthodox parties .

🗳️ The Political Motivation

Bennett frames this not just as a security failure, but as a deliberate political choice by the Netanyahu government to protect its coalition.

• Cost of Evasion: Bennett stated bluntly that “draft evasion is costing the lives of our soldiers” and accused the coalition of “prioritizing political considerations over security needs” .
• Using the “Together” Party: Bennett is campaigning on ending these exemptions. He recently added a 23-year-old reservist activist to his Knesset slate, signaling that forcing ultra-Orthodox enlistment is a core policy goal of the opposition .