As the year wears to a close, the IDF on Sunday reported that 14 active servicemembers have taken their lives in 2022, the highest such figure recorded in five years.
Despite the alarming statistic, deaths by suicide in the Israeli army have been on the decline over the past two decades as awareness and treatment of mental health issues improved.
In 2005, the number of suicides in the military stood at 36, dropping to 28 and 6 in 2010 and 2013, respectively. In 2017, the number of suicides jumped to 16 and has since then been fluctuating between nine to 14 cases each year.
According to senior military sources, experts could not provide an explanation for this year’s sudden uptick in the number of suicide cases. However, they note that the figures are still relatively low, and the data are insufficient to indicate the start of a trend.
An overwhelming majority of suicides are men and most of them don’t leave a letter explaining their actions. Due to the high sensitivity, steps are being taken to maintain the soldier’s privacy and of their families.
One notable case that grabbed headlines in recent years is that of Cpl. Niv Lubaton, a soldier in the Givati Infantry Brigade, who was found dead outside his base in southern Israel in early 2019.
Lubaton committed suicide after Military Police officers attempted to recruit him to provide information about drug dealing on the army’s Bislah Base in southern Israel. Lubaton initially agreed but then reneged and indicated he intended to harm himself. He later went missing from his base and was found dead shortly thereafter.
In light of the investigation into Lubaton’s death, IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi ordered the removal of the commander of the Military Police Investigatory Unit’s Be’er Sheva station from the unit. He was later reinstated after appealing his removal to the Supreme Court. Four other soldiers received official reprimands.
The IDF has in recent years implemented a plan to prevent suicides among soldiers which includes a reduction of access to firearms and increased access to mental health professionals, as well as the provision of instruction tools to commanders.
One possible factor being examined is a program led in recent years by IDF Manpower chief Maj. Gen. Moti Almoz to stave off the rise in exemptions from military service issued on mental health grounds following a dramatic jump from 4.5% of all military service candidates to 8.5% between 2015-2020.
As part of the program, the IDF requires more medical proof of mental health issues from a candidate who requests the exemption. In addition, unique service programs have been put into action for unarmed soldiers in a relatively protected environment.
In 2021, mental health exemptions dropped to 7.5% but experts are in no hurry to draw a connection to the increase in the number of suicides this year and believe that each case should be examined individually, largely due to the relatively small sample size.
One of the experts denies any connection between the two, noting that none of the soldiers who took their own lives this year were part of the candidates who faced a higher burden of proof before enlisting in the army.