Israeli reservists say they're badly equipped, poorly trained
By Jonathan Finer and Molly Moore
MENARA, Israel — In the string of border towns where Israeli soldiers gather before and after moving in and out of Lebanon, reservists can be distinguished from active-duty soldiers by their unkempt hair and uniforms — and often, they say, by the poor condition of their equipment.
As increasing numbers of Israel's reserve soldiers are ordered out of their civilian jobs and to the front lines of combat, they are voicing growing alarm over inadequate equipment and training in the face of large-scale casualties in their ranks.
Two of the largest death tolls of the four-week-long conflict have involved reserve soldiers: Thirteen of the 15 troops killed in combat Wednesday were reservists, and 12 reserve soldiers died last Sunday when a Hezbollah rocket smashed into the parking lot where they were gathered, near Israel's northern border.
The combination of the high death tolls and the mounting discontent among the reserve troops and their families has reverberated through Israeli society, where both military service and reserve duty are mandatory. The public outcry over the deaths of the reservists Wednesday — the same day the Israeli security cabinet authorized the military to accelerate its military operations in southern Lebanon — prompted both political and military leaders to moderate their threats of a rapid escalation in combat.
Meanwhile, the reports of a lack of equipment and proper training for many of the reserve units have spread through Israeli society, where almost every Jewish citizen has a friend or relative now in combat or preparing for combat in southern Lebanon.
"Nobody really wants to go into Lebanon," said a 28-year-old reserve paratrooper who provided only his first name, Yonaton, out of concern that he would face reprimands for criticizing the military. "We are just not ready — not in terms of training, or on a weapons basis. It is an absurd situation. Hezbollah has better weapons than we do."
Yonaton, a sergeant, said that when he reported for duty recently with his reserve unit, "there was a serious lack of gear."
"There are a lot of guns, but we were missing the appropriate guns and appropriate scopes to put on those guns," he said in an interview in Jerusalem while taking a one-day leave before moving to the border. "And basically there is no armor whatsoever. There is not one bulletproof vest in my company."
"This is a time of war, and it takes time sometimes to get everyone organized," said Capt. Noah Meir, an Israeli military spokeswoman. But she added, "We do not send any soldier or officer into combat who's not prepared, who's not geared up and not well trained. They won't go into battle without equipment."
Some political leaders have expressed concern.
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