More than 50,000 members currently serving in the Israeli military hold dual or multiple citizenships. This information was disclosed in a report by the daily Yedioth Ahronoth on Saturday (February 14), based on official government data.

The statistics were released by the military following a Freedom of Information Act request filed by the transparency organization Hatzlacha.

According to the military's figures, a total of 50,632 soldiers hold foreign passports alongside their Israeli citizenship. The report is being cited as the first detailed public statistical breakdown of foreign citizenship within the Israeli armed forces.

Breakdown by Nationality
The data reveals that a significant portion of these soldiers hold citizenships from Western and European nations:

• United States: 12,135 soldiers
• France: 6,127 soldiers
• Russia: Over 5,000 soldiers
• Germany: Over 3,000 soldiers
• Ukraine: Approximately 3,000 soldiers
• Other Nations: Over 1,000 soldiers each from the United Kingdom, Romania, Poland, Ethiopia, and Canada.

The report further highlights the complexity of these affiliations:

• 4,440 soldiers hold two foreign citizenships in addition to their Israeli passport.
• 162 soldiers hold three foreign citizenships.

Context of Military Strength
The request for this data was reportedly initiated in March 2025, leading to this recent disclosure. According to Israeli media estimates, the country maintains:

Active Duty Personnel: Approximately 170,000

Registered Reservists: Between 400,000 and 460,000

This means that nearly 30% of the active-duty equivalent (or roughly 8-9% of the total combined force) holds legal ties to a foreign sovereign state.
Source: TRT World