The defense minister said he instructed the IDF to begin preparing for the possibility that it will have to continue to support the national pandemic response through the end of 2022, after initially planning to scale back the militaryвЂ™s involvement in these efforts following this yearвЂ™s massive vaccination drive.

вЂњThe goal is to get more than 70 percent of people to serve each year, when today we only have roughly 50 percent,вЂќ Gantz said. Referring to recent efforts by the government to encourage ultra-Orthodox men to perform national service, the defense minister said he was working to expand this in order to get a larger majority of Israelis to enlist, warning that if this is not accomplished within the next decade, Israel will be forced to move to a professional, volunteer military. We are working to improve fortifications in the north and to build the barrier that was held up for years,вЂќ Gantz said. вЂњA defense budget allows us to rearm and allows for the operational ability that we need, alongside important social considerations. The defense minister made his comments during an extended briefing with reporters at the Defense MinistryвЂ™s offices in Tel AvivвЂ™s Kirya military base, focusing on Iran along with his meeting Sunday with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, the lingering threats from the Gaza Strip following MayвЂ™s conflict with terror groups there, the Middle East in general and the ongoing efforts by the government to pass the budget and fund the Defense MinistryвЂ™s programs. US President Joe Biden (right) shakes hands with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett as they meet in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Aug.

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