As an active reservist in the Israel Defense Forces, I’ve always been ready to defend my country. But today, life at home presents another kind of battleground — one defined by a soaring cost of living and housing prices that feel increasingly out of reach.

During my military service from age 18 to 21, I received just 700 NIS a month, a modest sum compared to peers able to spend hundreds of thousands of shekels on apartments. Later, even when I was earning around 10,000 NIS a month, ever-rising housing costs left me constantly juggling expenses. 

Courtesy

The logo of the Home for Warriors organization, sewn onto an IDF combat soldier's uniform.

I’ve served on the front lines in Gaza, seen friends fall and faced dangers most people cannot imagine. Yet when I return home, I have no home of my own. At 32, raising my 4 ½ -year-old son alone, I rent a place I can’t truly call mine and constantly worry about making ends meet. After more than a decade in the reserves, now on my sixth rotation since the latest wave of fighting, something struck me: Reservists give our time, our safety and precious family moments for this country, yet the simplest dream — a stable place to live — remains frustratingly out of reach.

That realization led me to found Homes for Warriors, an initiative dedicated to providing soldiers and their families with the stability they deserve. Today, more than 1,500 fighters are already organized across the Galilee, the Negev and Israel’s central periphery, supported by coordinators, field teams, leadership groups and ongoing community meetings. We are now on the verge of establishing a temporary camp of caravans — a first step toward permanent housing — so fighters can stop burning their salaries on rent and begin building real community and a real future.

But a vision can only grow with real support behind it. To turn this dream into reality, I approached SparkIL for a loan. SparkIL is a peer-to-peer platform that provides small businesses in Israel with zero-interest loans; their support allowed me to keep going — to continue building this initiative day after day. Their support is helping us take our first concrete steps toward creating homes not just for me, but for an entire community of veterans.

I have also reached out to commanders, fellow reservists, news outlets, members of the Knesset, and government ministers, all with one goal: to find a location in Israel’s periphery where fighters can build lasting homes and thriving communities. Over the past year alone, I have held nearly 300 meetings with elected officials, council heads, CEOs, advisors and professionals. I have invested tens of thousands of hours, six days a week, advancing this initiative in the public arena, in the media, in legal forums and in planning bodies.

This is not just a personal struggle. It’s a national one.

Israel has a clear security interest in supporting its reservists. Communities of trained fighters living in the periphery — in the north, south, everywhere beyond the overcrowded center — strengthen national resilience. These are areas where rapid response can save lives, and where strong, stable communities make the entire country safer. The state knows this, yet these regions too often lack the basic support needed to thrive.

Picture this: Neighbors who are fellow fighters — people who understand exactly what you’ve been through. Families like yours. Children running freely in safe spaces, exploring nature and building friendships that last. And, for the first time, a sense of true security. A feeling that the state has not forgotten you. A place where soldiers can finally build lives of purpose, connection and stability.

I want a home for my son. I want to plant trees and watch them grow taller than him. I want a community that stands together. I want to fight — not just on the battlefield, but for a future that belongs to those of us who have given everything.

This is a fight not only for houses, but for dignity, security and the future of every family who serves. I call on anyone who has worn the uniform — or loves someone who has — to stand with us on this journey.

Sergeant First Class Itamar Hayun is a longtime IDF reservist and the founder of Homes for Warriors.