Morale in the IDF is on decline, a new army study reveals, with most combat soldiers believing they would not be backed up by their superiors in the case of an investigation.
The survey, conducted by the IDF Behavioral Research unit, shows a worrisome trend in number of critical indexes gauging the moral and confidence of army service members.
According to the study, just 41% of combat soldiers believe their commanders would support them if an error was made or investigation conducted into an action by their unit.
While other measures of satisfaction and confidence among soldiers have been in decline over recent years, the authors of the study explicitly linked the low level of confidence among combat soldiers to the recent trial of Sgt. Elor Azariya, who was convicted of manslaughter in the shooting death of an Arab terrorist.
“[I]t can be assumed that these findings were influenced by the events with Elor Azaria,” reads and excerpt of the study obtained by Haaretz.
The number of soldiers (combat and non-combat) expressing satisfaction with their commanding officers was also in decline, with just 61% expressing a positive opinion of their officer in 2016, compared to 65% in 2014 and 76% in 2012.
Fewer soldiers said they were interested in continuing their service beyond the mandatory term, with just 25% saying they would consider a professional career in the military, compared to 32% in 2014 and 41% in 2012.
Other metrics showed similar, albeit less pronounced declines.
Two thirds (67%) say they felt they were respected by their commanders, a drop of 1% since 2014 and 8% since 2012. Fifty-eight percent said they felt fulfilled by their position in the army, a drop from 64% in 2014 and 66% in 2012.