Lone Soldier

Lone soldiers are generally either non-Israelis of Jewish background volunteering under the Mahal or Tzofim Garin Tzabar programmes or immigrants under the Law of Return, although other possibilities exist (e.g., orphaned natives). According to an IDF spokeswoman, 8,217 personnel born outside Israel enlisted between 2009 and August 2012. The most represented countries of origin were Russia and the United States, with 1,685 and 1,661 recruits respectively. As of 2025, approximately 3,500 people who made aliyah enlisted in the IDF each year. |- | 2011 || 5,000 || || |} Where a soldier's parents live in Israel, but he or she is not in contact with them, it is possible for him or her to be…