In Israel, reserve duty part of life

MAALEH SHOMRON, West Bank — At home, Eran Kurtzer is a suburbanite with a wife, a baby daughter and a small insurance agency. But for six weeks a year, Mr. Kurtzer, 33, is an army major leading a company of paratroopers on patrols through olive groves on the hills of the West Bank.

He and his unit are among thousands of Israeli men who once a year are torn from their everyday routine and thrust back into uniform.

The disrupted lives and livelihoods that American reservists are discovering as they spend months in Iraq have been a way of life in Israel ever since its creation in 1948. The potbellied, unshaven reservist, rifle casually slung over a shoulder, is a beloved stereotype of Israeli life. Reserve duty is the backbone of the army and an institution that has shaped Israeli society well beyond the military.

But as the military evolves technologically, many are questioning the need for the reserves system, which drains the economy of tens of millions of dollars a year in lost trade and wages. The issue has become more acute in part because the mission has changed. Reservists trained to defend the country from Arab armies are assigned increasingly to police the Palestinian population on the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and that hurts morale.

Israel’s founders established the reserves to deal with a dilemma that persists today. Surrounded by populous and hostile Arab neighbors, they needed a large army. But with a small population, they couldn’t afford to employ hundreds of thousands of professional soldiers.

The solution was conscription for all 18-year-old males for three years, followed by one reserve tour a year and more in times of emergency. Women are also drafted, and some unmarried ones do reserve duty.

The Israeli military does not disclose how many soldiers it has. According to Jane’s World Armies, Israel’s standing army of about 125,000 troops can jump to 500,000 with rapid mobilization — 250,000 of them within six hours.

The system has been tested in five wars, most rigorously in the 1973 Mideast war, when Egypt and Syria attacked on Yom Kippur and thousands of reservists were yanked from homes and synagogues and rushed to the fronts. Many ended up serving four months or more before the Middle East quieted down again.

In the past four years of conflict with the Palestinians, reservists have had to work long, tiring shifts guarding roadblocks or Jewish settlements on the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Palestinians regard the settlers as usurpers of land they claim for a future state.

Many reservists are among the 970 Israelis killed in the four-year-old Palestinian uprising. The death toll on the Palestinian side is 3,061.

Like all Israeli soldiers, the reservists are reviled by many Palestinians as representatives of an enemy occupier. But at roadblocks and checkpoints, it’s not uncommon to see Palestinians choosing to stand in lines manned by reservists, who are considered more patient and easygoing.

The burden on reservists has eased somewhat. They no longer have to show proof each time they leave the country that the army doesn’t need them. They are notified of call-ups six weeks in advance. Students called up during exam times get to take the tests later.

Soldiers can be called up for 36 days a year and officers for 43 — longer if necessary. Combat soldiers are in the reserves until age 40. The maximum age for service, 51, is being reduced in phases.

Still, a standard feature in many Israeli homes is the “reserve kit” — a portable coffee maker and a backgammon board.

Mr. Kurtzer lives with his family in Shoham, a bedroom community outside Tel Aviv, and runs his insurance agency with three employees.

Story Continues →