The infighting among government ministers and their failures in governance - both of which have been apparent for the last few months - have undermined the military and affected the personal safety of each and every Israeli.
Public attention is concentrated on the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis, and rightly so; the pandemic and the governmental response to it has inflicted critical harm on people's financial security and employment.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi
(Photo: Getty Images)
The harm to the military, however, was an unexpected side effect.
After all, the IDF is a hierarchical and strong organization with ample funds, which has national consensus. But the leadership crisis has infected the military as well - and the damage to it is very real.
If it is not allowed to operate independently and manage itself properly, the army will be brought to a standstill.
This has happened before. In 2014, shortly before the Gaza war known as Operation Protective Edge broke out, the IDF had run out of funds and the Air Force suspended training for a month.
This was likely the cause of many of the mishaps that occurred during the weeks of fighting. The government at the time had failed in its role to supply the needs of securing the country, believing the military could handle any shortages and simply make do.
The military's budgetary demands have become targets of public ridicule and mistrust over the years, with little understanding of the real needs and the magnitude of threats the IDF has been confronting.
Headlines reduced the conversation to the size of pensions for military personnel and not to the consequences of budget cuts.
Those tasked with running the military were left to meet the challenges with limited resources whether they liked it or not.
Israel has had no budget for two years in a row as a result of the political stalemate and successive election cycles. The IDF, like other government bodies, has been operating on monthly allowances based on one twelfth of its 2018 budget.
The military estimates it has already lost three billion shekels as the result of the political crisis that has ailed the country. Procurement and long-term projects have already been delayed and training programs are on the verge of being cut.
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IDF soldiers in the Engineering Corps at a ceremony to mark the end of training
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
Military bases are in the midst of a move from the center of the country to the Negev Desert in the south. Any delay in the implementation of the move would result in millions of shekels in penalties for breached contracts as well as other expenses.
But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz are busy bickering about whether to plan a budget for just 2020 or one that includes 2021 and in the meantime, the IDF remains unable to execute existing plans or plan for the future.
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IDF troops distributing food in Bnei Brak during the coronavirus lockdown
(Photo: Moti Kimchi)
Politicians know Israelis are now preoccupied with their own financial woes, with many uncertain how to provide for their families.
But when the Iranians and the Palestinians decide to attack and civilians are forced into air raid shelters to protect themselves from incoming rocket fire, politicians and the average Israeli may reconsider their decision to ignore the real needs of the IDF.