The Media Line: Home Front Battle: Why Israeli Reservists Are Saying No to More Duty

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Home Front Battle: Why Israeli Reservists Are Saying No to More Duty

A new survey finds that burnout and family strain are the leading causes of declining reserve turnout in Israel’s ongoing war

By Maayan Hoffman/The Media Line

A recent survey suggests that a drop of more than 10% in reservist turnout may be driven more by family strain and burnout than by financial stress or disillusionment with Israel’s ongoing war.

The poll, conducted by the Hosen Israel (IS-Resilient) organization, surveyed 20% of all reservist commanders. It found that an overwhelming majority—85%—reported a decline in the number of reservists reporting for duty. Most said the main reason was marital and family difficulties rather than physical or economic hardship.

“Reservists are telling their commanders, ‘Listen, I cannot come this time. My wife won’t let me. I need to choose between my wife and the army,’” said IS-Resilient co-founder Gilad Ganz.

Nearly half—45%—of commanders observed a drop of more than 10% in reservist turnout, which they directly attributed to burnout and strain on the home front. The survey also found that these pressures not only affect individual soldiers but can also weaken the cohesion and effectiveness of their units.

Ganz, a father of three young children who has completed around 500 days of reserve duty since October 7, 2023, said the situation is understandable. “For the soldiers who are in the field, they are fighting Hamas or other terrorists. When they come home, they want to rest. However, their wives have been dealing with their challenges and want the soldier to return to his role.”

“This causes tension and hardship,” Ganz said.

He explained that the stress doesn’t just stay at home—it follows the soldiers back into the field.

“When the soldiers are stressed or thinking about home instead of the military, this impacts everyone involved,” Ganz said.

Adina Leibler, a mother of three from Jerusalem, knows this reality firsthand. Her husband, Eran, serves in a special unit of the Paratroopers Brigade. He has spent more than 300 days on reserve duty since the war began and is expected to be called up for another 100 days in July.

Leibler said the most difficult part has been caring for the children, providing structure and reassurance, while their father is away. When Eran returns, she said, he often feels like a guest in his own home, stepping into a routine built around his absence. That, in turn, creates more stress.

“He comes home, and everything falls to pieces,” Leibler said. “The children test the boundaries—try to push the limits because he won’t be angry because he missed them.”

There are other layers of tension as well. In the early days, there was fear. Leibler and her children moved in with her mother because they didn’t want to be alone. Emotional ups and downs followed—Eran would leave for combat and then return, forcing the children to constantly readjust. One day, they would cry because they missed him; the next, he’d walk through the door.

Her husband experienced emotional strain too. Leibler said soldiers are exposed to difficult experiences in the field, which shift their mindset. When they return home, the things that matter to their spouses may no longer seem important—creating a new kind of disconnect.

“Things we were once aligned on, we are not aligned anymore,” Leibler explained.

She said many of her friends are either thinking about divorce or already going through one, struggling to bridge the emotional and logistical gap that has upended their lives.

Before the war, Leibler described herself as a mother, a Jerusalemite, and a high-tech worker. Today, she said, “the wife of a reservist—this would be in my top three.” She added, “This never factored into our identity, and it has become a part of us.”

The IS-Resilient survey is one of several released in recent months. Separate data from the Reservists’ Wives Forum, cited by Israel’s N12 news outlet, found that 56% of the wives of salaried reservists had to reduce their work hours or accept salary cuts.

Another study, conducted jointly by the Reservists’ Wives Forum and the Soldiers on the Home Front nongovernmental organization, revealed that as many as one in five reservist couples has considered divorce since the Hamas terrorist attacks in October—ten times Israel’s national divorce rate.

That study surveyed more than 2,300 reservist spouses, as well as active-duty soldiers and commanders.

In response to the findings, Ganz said his organization launched a pilot program that brings mental health professionals to run workshops for reservists and their spouses. Participants reported that the sessions were extremely helpful. Still, the initiative has yet to secure long-term funding.

“The understanding is that taking care of the reservists’ lives and families is a military necessity—more important than guns and drones,” Ganz said. “Family life affects the troops in the field and the entire unit. This is not just a personal challenge.”

20241016_164015~2.jpg – Adina Leibler and her children. (Courtesy)