A new report by the Central Bureau of Statistics reveals significant harm to the family life of reserve duty soldiers.
According to the data, 50% of spouses of reservists reported damage to their marital relationship, and about a third of them admitted that it led to thoughts of separation or divorce.
The extent of the damage was directly linked to the length of service. Among spouses of soldiers who served up to 50 days, 36% reported harm to their relationship, compared to 57% among spouses of those who served between 200 and 350 days.
The impact extended beyond the couple’s relationship. More than half (52%) of spouses reported a negative change in their children’s mental state up to age 21. In families where the reservist served between 200 and 250 days, that figure rose to 63%.
In addition, 61% of spouses said they needed some form of assistance due to reserve duty. Of these, 55% required emotional or psychological support, and 38% needed financial aid. Overall, 35% sought mental health treatment, and among families of ground forces soldiers, 68% turned to private sources for such assistance. The longer the service, the higher the rate of those seeking help.
The vast majority—75%—relied on family members or friends for support. A sectoral breakdown shows that 83% of religious families sought help from their immediate environment, compared to 74% of secular families and 64% of Haredi families.
Meanwhile, 30% of spouses reported receiving assistance from the IDF, and 23% received it from their local authority. Among families of reservists who served over 250 days, 37% received IDF assistance, compared to only 20% among those who served up to 50 days. As for payments from the National Insurance Institute, 87% of respondents said they received their entitlements—68% in full and 19% in part.