Introduction
Israel is perhaps unique in that the bulk of its armed forces depends on its reserves, which must remain in a state of constant alert and full combat readiness, able to mobilize and deploy within a maximum of three days.
This paper examines the vital role reserve forces have played in the wars Israel has fought since 1948: the Suez Crisis of 1956, the Six Day War of 1967, the October War of 1973 and the invasion of Lebanon in 1982. The essay then examines the factors that have contributed, over the past three decades, to the decline in these forces’ role and status, troop numbers and equipment, as well as a marked decrease in the frequency of their call-up for training. This has depleted the reserves’ combat readiness and negatively affected their performance in the genocidal war Israel has been waging against the Gaza Strip since 7 October. The decline of its reserves is one factor that has, so far, made Israel reluctant to open a full-scale war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, despite the latter’s 10-month campaign of attrition against Israel in support of Gaza.
