- Conscription in Israel
-
Conscription Military service
Civilian service
National service
Conscription crisis
Conscientious objectionConscription by country v · conscription in Israel for all Israeli citizens over the age of 18, although Arab (but not Druze) citizens are exempted, and other exceptions may be made on religious, physical or psychological grounds (see Profile 21). The normal length of compulsory service is currently three years for men and two years for women. Despite the impression that the majority of Israeli citizens are conscripted, only about 50% of potential conscripts actually serve in the military. Others do not serve for a variety of reasons, including religious study, minority community exemptions, refusing to serve, "low motivation", and a criminal record.
The Defense Service Law (חוק שירות ביטחון) regulates these duties and the exceptions. According to the Defense Service Law, the enlistment to the Israeli Defense Forces is mandatory for all Israeli citizens whom have turned 18 (with some exemptions, such as Israeli Arabs, who are all exempt from service in the military by the Israeli defense minister by virtue of the authority granted to him in the Defense Service Law).
Contents
Profiles
The IDF determines a medical profile for each soldier, and according to that profile, the army decides where to assign the draftees to. Draftees with low profiles (Profile 21) and draftees diagnosed as not suitable for a military service, are exempt from military service. The highest profile is 97. For the minority populations, except for Druze and Circassians, the recruitment is voluntary. In addition, women are eligible for exemption from army service for reasons of religious conviction.
Avoiding service
Although the conscription is officially compulsory, in practice a significant percentage of the population does not enlist to the military for various reasons. Among other things, through the recent decades there is a growing phenomenon of draft dodging from military service, mainly due to conscience or political reasons (See Refusal to serve in the Israeli military).
Yeshiva students who declare that "Torah study is their artistry" (תורתו אומנותו) can delay their conscription as long as they continue to study in the Yeshiva, although in practice many of them choose to never enlist to the military (this is a very controversial issue in the Israeli public, and through the years several attempts have been made to change the law, which until today all have failed). Special programs do exist in the military for the Yeshiva students (see Yeshivat Hesder). This program combines advanced Talmudic studies with military service in the Israel Defense Forces, usually within a Religious Zionist framework. The IDF also tends to make the military service easier for recruits at an older age and recruits with families, as well as athletes and various notable musicians.
From time to time a public debate rises among the Israeli public around the issue of draft dodging in Israel. Usually This debate usually tends be held in the context of the Haredi public, the Arab public and celebrities, as well as other circumstances in which people are exempt from military service.
Military service obligation
In 1949, after the founding of the State of Israel, the Defense Service Law gave the IDF the authority to enlist any citizen. Draftees would then be required to show up for the draft in accordance with the military's decision to enlist them. Under this law, the period of service for men was 30 months and for women 18 months (although in accordance with a temporary order from January 10, 1968, six additional months were added to the mandatory service.) The draft requirement applies to any citizen or permanent resident who has reached the age of 18, and in accordance with the law, the individuals who are exempt from the draft are dismissed for various reasons, such as incapability, medical problems, military personnel needs, etc. Many of the soldiers who complete their mandatory military service are later obligated to serve in a reserve unit in accordance with the military's needs.
Policy regarding various specific population groups
- The IDF does not enlist Israeli Arabs proactively, and only a very few of them choose to volunteer for military service. Many Bedouins enlist to a voluntary military service. For Druze and Circassian men the conscription is mandatory.
- Yeshiva students who declare that "Torah study is their artistry" (תורתו אומנותו) can delay their conscription as long as they continue to study in the Yeshiva (In accordance with the Tal Law), and in practice many of them choose to never enlist to the military. This is a very controversial issue within the Israeli public, and many attempts have been made through the years to change it, although so far they have all failed due to political pressures.
- Female draftees who state that they maintain a religious way of life, are exempt from military service, and many of them choose to volunteer for national service instead.
- Hesder students serve in the IDF in shorter periods than the normal service periods - only a year and four months.
- Draftees who state that they are pacifists are required to pass a committee which examines the credibility of their statement. If the committee is persuaded that these are people who meet the criteria of pacifism, an exemption from military service is given to those individuals. There are only a few individuals each year who are granted an exemption due to pacifism, and the ones whom the Committee decides to enlist in spite of their declaration - are required to enlist.
- Immigrants who immigrate to Israel at the age of recruitment get various concessions in their military service.
- Draftees with a physical disability, which are exempt from military service, may volunteer to serve. It can be a symbolic service of four hours a day, but they might also end up serving in full-time military service.
- Leading active athletes might in many cases be granted an "Outstanding athlete" status which allows them to get a more continent and shorter service - so they can continue to develop their career in the branch of the sport and represent Israel abroad in international competitions. The "Outstanding athlete" status is given only to athletes competing in Olympic sports.[1] In addition, the military also grants the similar "Outstanding dancer" status and a "Outstanding musician" status. This status is granted in the same way and after the individuals have been examined. These individual's military service would also get a more convenient service so that they can continue to improve their abilities and career during military service.
Draft process
The military draft process occurs in the following steps:
Deferment
There are various routes which allow the draftees to postpone the date of recruitment. An automatic postponement is granted for student to graduate from high school. Additional routes which lead to the postponing of the recruitment:
- Volunteering for a one year service in a youth organization.
- Postponement of conscription due to the IDF needs, usually due to a course beginning in a date which occurs later than the original drafting date given to the draftee.
- Postponement of conscription due to various personal reasons.
- One can postpone the draft in a year in order to go to Torah studies.
- One can postpone the draft as part of the Hesder agreement.
Academic programs
- Academic Reserve - a program designed to enlist and train soldiers which have an academic background in fields vital to the military's needs.
- Talpiot program - an elite training program for young people who have demonstrated outstanding academic ability in the sciences, physics and mathematics. Graduates of the Talpiot program pursue higher education while serving in the army, and then utilize their expertise to further IDF research and development.
- The pilot course also offers a college degree.
Discrepancy and adjustment difficulties
During the drafting process sometimes draftees get exempted from the draft because of incompatibility. Sometimes the incompatibility of an individual is determined later on during ones military service, and leads to his dismissal from the army. Discrepancy stems from various reasons:
- Criminal record or history of using drugs.
- Low motivation to serve.
When there is a surplus of recruits, the military many times raises the threshold required from the recruits, and grants an exemption due to incompatibility to a much larger number of recruits. In addition, there is a widespread phenomenon of granting exemption from military service because of incompatibility to female candidates whom were identified have a low medical profile and/or low motivation to serve. In such cases the reason for the exemption would usually be stated as: "Excess of female recruits."
The IDF can also determine that a draftee has adjustment difficulties. A soldier with adjustment difficulties would not serve as a combat soldier.
Volunteering
A draftee found unfit for military service may still choose to volunteer for military service and his status will be similar to all the other draftee found to be fit for service (as such these volunteers can not later on decide to quit the military after they have chosen to volunteer to the army).[2]
Exemption from service
Main article: Exemption from military service in IsraelReferences
See also
- Military of Israel
External links
- IDF: Nearly 28% of Israeli males avoided conscription in 2007 - published in Haaretz
- Dodging Israel's draft - published on BBC News
- Israel confronts flagging interest in military service - published in washingtonpost.com
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Categories:- Conscription in Israel
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Conscription in Israel
- Conscription in Israel
-
Conscription Military service
Civilian service
National service
Conscription crisis
Conscientious objectionConscription by country