In the six or so months that the coronavirus pandemic has been wreaking havoc in Israel, the IDF Personnel Directorate is noticing a sharp drop in the number of IDF soldiers who go AWOL, Israel Hayom has learned.
With over a million Israelis unemployed, the military seems to be holding onto its people at a higher rate than usual. This might be a cause-and-effect situation, as there are no lucrative side jobs available to tempt soldiers away from their compulsory service.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
In March of this year, when the COVID crisis began, the number of AWOL soldiers (282) was up by 2% compared to March 2019. In April 2020, the number of AWOL soldiers dropped by 25% year on year (189 compared to 249 in April 2019), and in May that number dropped by another seven percent (227 AWOL soldiers compared to 347 in May 2019).
June saw the number plummet by another 35%, with 227 soldiers AWOL compared to 347 in June 2019, and the pattern repeated in July (223 AWOL soldiers compared to 260 in July 2019) and August (with 179 AWOL soldiers compared to 305 in August 2019). September 200 saw no change year on year.
The IDF noted that since the start of the COVID crisis, the military has expanded assistance for soldiers in financial distress, and cut down on the bureaucratic processes entailed in applying for aid. The military thinks that these factors, in addition to the lack of employment opportunities, have made illegal "vacations" from military service less enticing.
"Soldiers who returned to their units will not face prison time and will not carry any criminal record," the IDF promised.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
