VIDEO - An IDF reservists' protest against "poor conditions of reserve duty" had an exceedingly small turnout, as only 15 reservists showed up Sunday afternoon to demonstrate in front of the Kirya army base in Tel Aviv.
The protestors complained that although they were being honored Sunday on the national day of recognition for army reservists, the rest of the year their plight was ignored.
Representatives of the reservist organizations and apolitical volunteer groups said they decided to unite to call on all reservists and their families to join the struggle. The protestors carried signs bearing the slogans: "Cancel this empty day of honor" and "Stop the exploitation, abuse and contempt".
Nitzan Peles, a reservist and student who served in the Second War in Lebanon as a combat soldier, described the frustration felt by many reservists. "You can't see it now, but people aren't planning to show up for the next war. They have financial, business and family problems," he said.
"I know a student whose three years of academic education were destroyed because of the last war. People are always asking me how to get out of reserve duty – people who are the salt of this earth have asked me, 'Why should I ruin my life?'" he said.
Peles tried to explain why more reservists failed to show up for the demonstration. "For six years we've been fighting this recognition day, but no one cares. Despair has pervaded and therefore people don't make the effort to come," he said.
Irreparable harm
Roee Ron, chairman of the Baltam organization to improve reserve duty conditions told Ynet, "To our surprise, after the Second Lebanon War and the Winograd Report, the government and the IDF are advancing a law against reserve duty. The preparedness of the reserve units must be taken care of, and reserve duty should only entail training. Plus, the harm to the soldiers' economic situation, employment and education must be dealt with."
According to the protestors, the day of recognition and the forest planted to honor reserve soldiers just prove how much they are disrespected. Zvi Raviv, who also fought in the last war, explained: "The Israeli government exploits us and sends us to war without the proper gear.
"When I say exploits, I mean the fact that they pay us NIS 121 ($30) for a day of reserve duty, when minimum wage is NIS 148 ($37.5). And when I say without equipment I mean that in the last war when we opened the storage units, there wasn't any equipment in them that I recognized from my regular army service. It was like we weren't a combat unit but security guards."
According to Raviv, "The government tells the people that everything is okay, but in the next war – the storage units will still be empty. I'll show up for duty in any case, but in the meantime we'll fight for better compensation."