Morat20 t1_jb22hsd wrote on March 5, 2023 at 9:03 PM

Reply to comment by Ligma_Bowels in Dozens of Israeli reserve pilots ditch drill to protest judicial overhaul by Dirty_Quesadilla

Israeli practices universal conscription, so everyone serves.

With...some exceptions. Obviously they don't allow Arab citizens who are Christian or Muslim, but there is also a long-standing religious exemption that heavily favors the ultra-orthodox sects. I understand they've been trying to repeal that for like two decades (with the last attempt I heard of struck down by the courts).

So in practice the military service isn't quite that universal.

The military, in practice, is the civilian populace between certain ages PLUS career military of all ages MINUS any non-Jewish Arab citizens, MINUS some chunk of the more right-wing and ultra-othrodox sects.

Which is a bit of a different kettle of fish than, say, a purely professional military like the US uses.

TheInsaneC t1_jb25577 wrote on March 5, 2023 at 9:22 PM

>Obviously they don't allow Arab citizens who are Christian or Muslim

They can volunteer. But why would they?

onecrazyguy1 t1_jb2kqla wrote on March 5, 2023 at 11:14 PM

Because there are many Arabs in Israel who are proud Israeli citizens. Among Arabs in Israel, feelings are very diverse, some want to be "Palestinian," some don't identify with that at all and want to be "Arab Israeli."

Blofish1 t1_jb47sj4 wrote on March 6, 2023 at 8:31 AM

In some communities, a military career is also a good way to get ahead economically

nygaff t1_jb2eaxb wrote on March 5, 2023 at 10:27 PM

That's not true at all. The IDF conscription is for all citizens, regardless of their religion. There are even Druze and Bahai who serve.

Morat20 t1_jb2qopz wrote on March 5, 2023 at 11:59 PM

Go ahead and read what I wrote again.

Note the phrase "MINUS some chunk".

Those exceptions exist -- and more. I didn't list all of them, just a few.

And people use them. Not everyone who qualifies will use one, but plenty do.

Druze, for instance, have a full conscription -- but only men, not women. A number of Yeshiva students utilize an exemption (Torato Umanuto I want to say? Young men in Haredi yeshivas can serve shortened -- 4 month-- service or none at all. And when i say "can" I mean like 99% of them don't serve. Israel has been working on that for awhile to remove the exemption but last I checked it was still there in practice).