The Israeli Channel 13 has published a statistical report on the results of a survey in Israel about the ceasefire. The results indicate that at least 61.5 percent of Israelis supported the ceasefire agreement in Gaza and only 23.9 percent came against it. Also, 58.8 percent of Israelis have called for extensive political changes after the ceasefire and holding new elections. This report is the best evidence and claim that the war in Gaza has imposed great costs on the occupiers, to the point that many of them are now seeking to stop the war. Aljazeera's report also stated, citing Israeli sources, that 88 percent of Israelis want a complete cessation of the war and an agreement with Hamas to end the war and ensure their personal security. Meanwhile a question presents itself: Why are the Israelis tired of war?
Economic downtown caused by war
A report published by the American-funded The Atlantic think tank about the repercussions of the Gaza war on the Israeli economy reveals significant data about the Israeli economic crisis as the war unfolded:
A sudden drop in GDP: Israel's high-tech sector, with its extensive exports, positively influenced 32 percent of Israel's economic growth between 2017 and 2022. The Israeli regime's economic output growth reached 6.5 percent in 2022, a year before the war in Gaza, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had predicted an economic growth rate of more than 9 percent in the occupied territories for 2023. The war upset all calculations in Israel, and the regime's economic growth fell to an unprecedented 2 percent, 7 percent less than the IMF's expected forecast.
Disruption of supply and demand: The outbreak of the war in Gaza caused a supply and demand shock in Israel, with economic activity in the occupied territories falling by 21 percent and investment by 26 percent. Also, a large part of the agricultural land for agricultural production ceased to be used, affecting food production, to the point that the Israeli food sector recorded double-digit inflation at the same time as the war in Gaza.
Housing sector shutdown: The housing sector in Israel effectively has come to a standstill during the Gaza war, and construction remained stagnant. The construction sector in Israel is heavily dependent on Palestinian workers, and when Palestinian workers from the West Bank and Gaza were prevented from entering Israel, a quarter of the construction sector in Israel effectively came to a standstill, as a quarter of construction workers in Israel are Palestinian, and the labor force in Israel’s construction sector was greatly reduced as a result of the Gaza war. Anadolu news agency figures show that around 700-750 construction and infrastructure companies closed down last year during the Gaza war, which is more than 10 percent more than in 2023.
Tourism sector bankruptcy: Gaza war has also inflicted a crisis on the tourism sector in the occupied territories, shutting down over 60,000 firms and small and mid-size projects. As Gaza war erupted, many international airlines suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv, and tourist visits to Israel in 2024 compared to the year fell over 80 percent. According to data from the Israel Bureau of Statistics, inbound tourism decreased to 885,000 tourists and travelers in the first 11 months of 2024, while in the first 11 months of 2023, the number of people visiting Israel reached 2.95 million tourists.
Israeli military costs
Gaza war has not only led to Israel's economic decline, but also put heavy military costs on the occupiers. According to the reports, fast militarization and increase in military spending until 6 months ago costed Israeli economy nearly $600 million. This was expected to double by end of 2024, which roughly accounts for 12 percent of Israeli GDP.
Around 360,000 reservists, The Atlantic estimates, were called up during the Gaza war, the second largest call-up in Israeli history. This represents approximately 4 percent of the population and 8 percent of the Israeli labor force. In addition, the evacuation of Israeli residents near the Gaza and West Bank borders, as well as near the Lebanese border to the north, led to the closure of schools and businesses. Some estimates put the cost of military personnel in the Israeli army at up to $41 million per day. The increased costs, in turn, led to a reduction in public services provided by Israel to residents in the occupied territories and led to discontentment with ongoing costly war. The increase in Israeli military spending led to a budget deficit of 6.6 percent, and the Israeli officials resorted to taxes rises to reverse it. These tax increases in Israel, coinciding with the Gaza war, exacerbated public discontentment.
Deteriorating psychological challenges in Israeli society
A few months ago, Channel 12 reported that psychological conditions of half of the Israelis has deteriorated after war. Accordingly, the use of antidepressants among Israelis has increased significantly since the start of the Gaza war (October 7, 2023). Recently, Israel's sources held that the escalation of mental disorders in Israeli society as a result of war and the emigration of psychiatrists has left Israelis facing a severe shortage of doctors specializing in mental and psychological disorders. The Haaretz newspaper reported that, with the psychiatric system in the occupied territories in danger of collapse, dozens of psychiatrists have left the occupied territories and gone to England for stable conditions and life security.
According to the report, these migrations come while demand for health services in the occupied territories as a result of war have been on the rise.
Gaza war led to psychological problems among the Israeli
soldiers. The Hebrew-language news outlet Walla recently reported that
1,600 Israeli soldiers suffered from mental health problems as a result
of the war. It noted that the army had to return 250 soldiers from Gaza
to the occupied territories and terminate their service due to mental
health problems. The outlet further reported that about 1,000 of these
soldiers still need treatment. Earlier, Haaretz revealed that more than
2,800 Israeli soldiers have been hospitalized in the rehabilitation
center of the defense ministry since the beginning of war. The newspaper
added that 18 percent of the wounded soldiers are suffering from
psychological problems.
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