More than 50,000 Israeli military personnel hold at least one additional nationality, according to figures published Saturday by daily Yedioth Ahronoth, citing official army data.
The newspaper said the information emerged after a freedom of information request filed by the transparency advocacy group Hatzlacha. The disclosure offers one of the most detailed public snapshots of foreign citizenship among Israeli troops to date.
Army figures show that 50,632 soldiers possess foreign citizenship alongside Israeli nationality. Among them, 12,135 hold US citizenship, representing the largest share by a wide margin. The data also list 6,127 soldiers with French nationality and just over 5,000 with Russian citizenship.
Breakdown highlights wide global ties
The figures further indicate that more than 3,000 soldiers hold German nationality, with a similar number listed as Ukrainian citizens. Meanwhile, over 1,000 troops each possess British, Romanian, Polish, Ethiopian, or Canadian citizenship. The remaining foreign nationalities span numerous other countries.
In addition, the disclosure reveals that 4,440 soldiers hold two foreign citizenships in addition to Israeli nationality, while 162 personnel possess three foreign nationalities. However, the army did not clarify whether the data include only active-duty troops, reservists, or both.
Data raises questions over military composition
Israeli media estimates suggest the country has roughly 170,000 active-duty soldiers, alongside between 400,000 and 460,000 registered reservists. Against that backdrop, the figures highlight the significant presence of dual or multiple nationalities within the ranks.
The report noted that the request for the data was filed in March 2025, nearly a year before the information became public. It described the disclosure as the first comprehensive breakdown of foreign citizenship among Israeli military personnel.
