In a groundbreaking revelation, the Israeli army has disclosed detailed official data regarding the number of soldiers holding foreign nationalities, as reported by Yedioth Ahronoth. According to the data, there are 50,632 soldiers in the Israeli army who possess other nationalities, including 12,135 with American citizenship, 6,100 with French citizenship, and over 5,000 with Russian nationality, among others from Germany, Ukraine, Britain, Canada, Latin America, and a few Arab nationalities in smaller numbers. Notably, there are also 4,440 soldiers holding foreign dual citizenship and around 162 with three or more nationalities.

Military analyst Nidal Abu Zaid discussed these figures on Al Jazeera's late-night program, indicating that this situation highlights a severe depletion within the Israeli military ranks, prompting a reliance on dual-national forces. He pointed out that these dual-nationals constitute nearly one-third of the regular army, suggesting a transformation of the Israeli military into what he termed a 'multi-loyalty' force, reminiscent of militia armies from the early days of 1948. This analysis raises important questions about the implications of such demographic shifts within the military structure, especially regarding loyalty and effectiveness in future conflicts.

The reliance on dual nationals may reflect underlying challenges faced by the Israeli army in sustaining its strength and addressing personnel shortages amidst ongoing regional conflicts. Abu Zaid's comments point to a potential vulnerability as the Israeli defense establishment may need to re-evaluate its recruitment strategies and address the growing trend of foreign citizenship among its soldiers.