Israeli Chief Rabbinate restricts reservists from carrying weapons over suicide concerns

OCCUPIED PALESTINE, Nov. 03 (YPA) – The Israeli Chief Rabbinate has issued a directive preventing military reservists who served in combat units from carrying firearms, aiming to reduce the risk of suicide, Hebrew media reported.

According to Israel Hayom, Israeli occupation army stated that the measure is temporary, providing soldiers with rest and support during a difficult period, and that individual requests to carry weapons will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

The decision follows a report by the Knesset Research and Information Center, which revealed a sharp rise in suicide attempts among soldiers since the outbreak of the war on October 7, 2023. Between January 2024 and July 2025, 279 suicide attempts were recorded, averaging seven attempts for each fatality, with 21% of recent soldier suicides occurring among reservists.

@E.Y.M