IDF chief cancels decades-old practice of military holiday ‘shutdowns’

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has canceled a decades-old practice where large portions of the military take time off at the same time, usually during the Jewish holidays.

The practice is known in the IDF as shutdown or hadmama in Hebrew. Entire bases or units would all go on breaks during the Jewish holidays and during the end of the summer, leaving skeleton crews to continue operations. Some non-essential units would close altogether during these breaks, which usually lasted several days.

The IDF was in such a shutdown period ahead of the October 7, 2023, onslaught, with many senior officers at home or on vacation, and only half the number of usual troops on the Gaza border.

Since the start of the war, there have been no such unit-wide vacations.

Zamir, during a conference with senior officers today, just days after entering the role, says that “there will be no more shutdowns in the IDF,” adding that there will still be usual furlough and vacation time, but not simultaneous by entire units.

Also during the conference, Zamir tells the officers that “2025 will be a year of war,” and that returning the hostages is one of the most important goals of the ongoing war.

After the IDF’s investigations into the October 7 onslaught and what led to it, Zamir says the IDF will establish a mechanism to also investigate the war itself and its numerous battles.

He also says that the IDF will allocate NIS 600 million to assist the families of fallen soldiers, career soldiers, and reservists.