This is a stupid decision & terrible timing.

However, this is the same leadership that allows Arab family reunification, thousands of Arab squatters, 65,000 illegal African/Moslems unopposed entry and a million Moslems into Israel for Ramadan. I don't have all the facts and god knows America has problems will illegals but there is something awfully wrong with this nation that was created for self preservation of Jews first and foremost.

How about cutting the stipends for the 99% of the Torah 'scholars' who won't amount to anything and give it to the army who is protecting the country from all sides. This is not the time to be cutting people who know what they are doing. Save money? Cut the salaries of the Knesset members- they are certainly overpaid.

I don't know who is the moron behind this idea . but if the cuts were implemented it will come back to haunt them hard!

got to be out of their feable mind! they want to save money by fireing the boys and girls on whom isreal's existence depends? how about saving ten times as much by eliminating most of those leeches they call "politicians" and give the monies to the IDF/IAF in the light of what is going on in that region...pfew...

Cut all subsidies to settlements, Haredi and all Yeshivas, and re-direct it to the army.

Lapid is going to go down in Shame with the so-called Leaders during the Yom Kipper War who nearly cost us our country. G-d help us all (Again)

I think we should reconsider our leaders if they are seriously cutting down the army. I will have problems paying tax and supporting the Haredi but not the army. What do these guys think? STOPP ALL SUPPORT OF THE HAREDI. These guys will never move a finger to support and save us.

..just fighting for needed money for the IDF. Obvious he has lost in discussions and should be retired. To seriously cave in and do this cuts in these times ahead, its quite silly. Is he a leftist and looking for a multicultural state with the islamic followers??

Well Mr. Smart one Avner; this time the missiles are coming your way; we will see how ready you are to give up our homeland then. Typical Tel-Aviv Idiot thinking you are in a bubble, well the bubbles going to pop.

We must learn to live within our means and adjust to change, this includes the army.

This is really shame! We need career and professional soldiers the most! They are far better than enlisted! If they want to save money, they could do it multiple ways. Why the IDF's great soldiers?

IF THE ARMY HAS TO CUT PROFESSIONALS , WHY IS IT SO DESPERATE TO DRAFT CHAREIDIM ? IF THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF MONEY WHY NOT COLLECT FROM ABBAS FOR THE WATER & ELECTRICITY IT SUPPLIES . SINCE ARABS ACT LIKE A 5TH COLUMN CUT CHILD ALLOWANCES AND MAKE THEM BUILD ROADS .

but do have problem to support a non-working hareidi. Cut all the possible allowances of hareidi paracites and divert them to idf.

Cut down the Military just in Face of a New War. Arn.Sweden.

Profits from the Gas that it's already comming in? Why cuts in the army?

Avner in tel Aviv, you were obviously born a complete Genius

IDF is bloated. We can and should reduce the size of IDF without damaging anything. Do we really need singing groups that no one wants to hear? All the jobnikim in Tel Hashomer and Ramat Gan? The question is only whether Gantz is cutting the waste, or just the combat units. As for Lebanon II, we did not lose because of budget, but because Sharon refocused the IDF on Jews as enemies to perform Gush Katif and other ethnic cleansings, and because the corrupt Olmert regime refused to give the IDF orders to win. As soon as IDF used correct tactics (last two days before Livni surrendered), we easily overcame Hezbollah.

The only way to stay in power in the Middle East , is to go after the Jews. That one thing the Lapids were never. And B.B is laughing his head off for putting him in charge.

Wars require three things ... (1) lots of cannon fodder (people to die for the cause), (2) lots of "war toys" to be destroyed, and (3) lots of wealth to be wasted. This is why ALL empires disappear - they run out of one or more of the requirements. If Israel does not want to end up like so many other empires, then Israelis are going to have to face reality and NEGOTIATE a peace with the Arabs because trying to sustain a perpetual war with the Arabs will simply bankrupt Israel. If you want to be "safe" then learn to live by the neighborhood rules and get along. It is 100% IMPOSSIBLE for Israel to survive by night alone. Maybe it is time to re-think the whole warrior mentality because it sure is not working very well.

Gantz and his staff are presenting a scary plan to intimidate the government into accepting their budgetary demands. Anyone who has served anywhere in the IDF knows that about half of the jobs there are unnecessary and most of the career NCOs can be dismissed. Moreover, the retirement age for non-combatants can be raised to the same age as for the general population, and they can also prevent promoting officers and NCOs for no reason other than seniority. These are the steps that can save NIS 7 billion and indeed make the army better at the same time. Instead, Gantz cuts back on what is easy: training, combatants, etc. Shame on him. It appears that many in the army's staff have confused the interests of the army's employees with the interests of the state's security, which is what they should be focusing on.

... at a time of increasing threats, finds it has to cut military readiness to meet budgetary targets? I'm old enough to remember when Israel's Defense expenditures were almost 20% of GDP; now it's closer to 7%. There's a shift toward social expenditures, and consumption rather than investment, especially in the aftermath of the social protests of 2011. Israel is paying a lot more these days to the strongest workers in state-owned companies, in support for large families (Arab too, not just haredi), and in subsidized power and water to Gaza and the PA. The fear of course is that the IDF is cutting muscle and not fat. As in every large organization, there's plenty of waste, but there's no indication that's being addressed. Nor any thought being given to the highest cost items, like the F-35s and the sixth Dolphin submarine. Meanwhile, the need for more surface ships and readiness training are being short-changed.

Many reserve soldiers were complaining they were unprepared because drills had been canceled. The IDF tries to save a few shekels here & there & we'll all pay for it 3 fold in the future. Syria is on fire & ready to spill over into Israel & Lebanon. Egypt is in chaos & Hamas is getting desperate & Iran still has to be dealt with in the next 12 months. I'm all for making the IDF more technologically advanced, but you don't do that by throwing away trained, committed soldiers. There is a deficit, but the economy is strong. There are smarter ways of saving money.