Bennett warns Israeli army faces risk of collapse over recruitment crisis

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett warned on Tuesday that the Israeli army faces a “risk of collapse” because of a severe shortage of soldiers, blaming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government for the ongoing recruitment crisis, particularly amid growing tensions over the enlistment of ultra-Orthodox Jews. Bennett, leader of the opposition Together alliance, told Israel’s Channel 12 that he was issuing a “serious strategic security warning”, saying the army does not have enough soldiers to deal with all the threats cited by the government. READ: Former Israeli diplomat warns country could face apartheid-era South Africa-style isolation He said prolonged rounds of fighting were exhausting soldiers and damaging their operational readiness, adding that the shortage of troops sometimes forces the army to […]