Difference between revisions of "Conscription in Israel"

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[[Conscription in Israel]] during peacetime has been in place since 1949, a year after Israel was founded. While Israel is widely known for drafting women this does not occur on the same basis as men. Only citizens and permanent residents of Israel may be drafted.
There is a mandatory [[conscription]] for all men and women in Israel who are fit and 18 years old, however many exemptions exist, especially for women. Men must serve 30 months while women serve 24 months, with the vast majority of conscripts being Jewish.
 
   
 
Various exemptions exist which allow for a high proportion of men and women to avoid mandatory military service. This is a growing political issue in Israel. In 2013, 26 percent of all potential conscripts were exempted from military service in the Israel Defense Forces; 13.5 percent for religious reasons, 4 percent for psychological reasons, 2 percent for physical health reasons, 3 percent due to existing criminal records, and 3 percent due to residing abroad. As of 2022, the minimum required length of military service is two years and eight months (with some roles requiring an additional four months of service) for all conscripted men, and two years (with some roles requiring an additional eight months of service) for conscripted Jewish women.
Many Israeli citizens are exempt from mandatory service:
 
* Non-Jewish Arab citizens
 
* permanent residents (non-civilian) such as the [[Druze]] of the Golan Heights
 
* Male Ultra-Orthodox Jews can apply for deferment to study in [[Yeshiva]] and the deferment tends to become an exemption, although some do opt to serve in the military
 
* Female religious Jews, as long as they declare they are unable to serve due to religious grounds. Most of whom opt for the alternative of volunteering in the national service [[Sherut Leumi]]
 
   
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== Categories ==
All of the exempt above are eligible to volunteer to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), as long as they declare so.
 
   
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More than 20% of Israel's population is non-Jewish. In general, non-Jews are exempt from conscription in Israel. The following table provides a break down.
Male [[Druze]] and male [[Circassians|Circassian]] Israeli citizens are liable for conscription, in accordance with agreement set by their community leaders (their community leaders however signed a clause in which all female Druze and female Circassian are exempt from service).
 
   
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{| class="sortable wikitable"
A few male [[Bedouin]] Israeli citizens choose to enlist to the Israeli military in every draft (despite their Muslim-Arab background that exempt them from conscription).
 
  +
!rowspan="2"|Ethnic Group
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!colspan="2"|Gender
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|-
  +
!Male
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!Female
  +
|-
  +
|Haredi Jewish
  +
|Exempt if in full-time religious study.
  +
|Exempt
  +
|-
  +
|Non-Haredi Jewish
  +
|Required
  +
|Exempt if ''religious''.
  +
|-
  +
|Palestinian
  +
|Exempt
  +
|Exempt
  +
|-
  +
|Bedouin
  +
|Exempt
  +
|Exempt
  +
|-
  +
|Druze
  +
|Required
  +
|Exempt
  +
|-
  +
|Circassian
  +
|Required
  +
|Exempt
  +
|}
   
  +
Israeli citizens with an exemption from conscription may volunteer to serve in the IDF if they otherwise meet the entry requirements.
Problem of so many exemptions.
 
   
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=== Haredi ===
[[Conscription in Israel]] during peacetime has been in place since 1949, a year after Israel was founded. While Israel is widely known for drafting women this does not occur on the same basis as men.
 
   
  +
Haredi men are exempt as long as they are studying ''Torah''. In practice many men study for so long that they are eventually too old to be called for military service.
Various exemptions exist which allow a large minority of men, and most women to avoid mandatory military service. This is a growing political issue in Israel.
 
   
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Haredi women are accepted as being religious and thus exempt from military service.
More than 20% of Israel's population is non-Jewish. In general, non-Jews are exempt from conscription in Israel. There are however two exceptions. Men from the ''Druze'' and ''Circassian'' minorities are required to service on the same basis as Jewish men. These provisions were added to Israeli law at the request of the leaders of these communities. Military service became mandatory for Druze men in 1956 and Circassian men in 1958.
 
<ref>https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/druze-in-israel-and-the-question-of-compulsory-military-service</ref><ref>https://archive.vn/dhkKL</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20130417174543/http://www.circassianworld.com/Haaretz_eng.html</ref>
 
   
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=== Non-Haredi ===
Men and women who are exempt from mandatory military service may volunteer.
 
   
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Non-Haredi women are only supposed to receive an exemption if they are actually religious. In practice manuy non-religious women have obtained exemptions. The problem has become so widespread that it has been reported that the IDF is cracking down on this in the 2020s.
Mandatory military service
 
   
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=== Palestinian ===
but is limited to Israelis of three ethnicities: Jews (both genders), Druze (male only), and Circassians (male only). Under Israeli law, only men are drafted from the smallest minority groups of the Druze and of the Circassians, whereas Jewish women are required to serve alongside Jewish men. While the largest minority group of the Arab citizens of Israel (both genders of the Arab-Muslims, and both genders of the Arab-Christians) are allowed to enlist voluntarily, they are not conscripted by law; and therefore the vast majority of them opt not to volunteer whatsoever.
 
   
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Palestinians in the table above refer to Arab citizens of Israel, not residents of the West Bank which most nations consider to be under occupation by Israel.
Exemptions can be made for potential conscripts on religious, physical, psychological, or lawful grounds.
 
   
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A growing number of Palestinians are volunteering for service in the IDF.
As of 2022, the minimum required length of military service is two years and eight months (with some roles requiring an additional four months of service) for all conscripted men, and two years (with some roles requiring an additional eight months of service) for conscripted Jewish women.[2]
 
   
  +
=== Bedouin ===
In 2013, 26 percent of all potential conscripts were exempted from military service in the Israel Defense Forces; 13.5 percent for religious reasons, 4 percent for psychological reasons, 2 percent for physical health reasons, 3 percent due to existing criminal records, and 3 percent due to residing abroad.[3]
 
   
  +
Bedouin have a long history of volunteering and many have risen to high rank as career soldiers. Volunteering in the IDF is a way out of poverty for many Bedouin.
According to the Israeli Defense Service Law, which regulates duties and exceptions, all Israeli citizens who meet the conscription criteria are required to serve once they reach 18 years of age unless they qualify for any of the above-mentioned exemptions.
 
   
  +
=== Druze ===
Tal Law
 
Problem of so many exemptions.
 
   
 
Men from the ''Druze'' community are required to service on the same basis as Jewish men. These provisions were added to Israeli law at the request of the leaders of these communities. Military service became mandatory for Druze men in 1956.<ref>https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/druze-in-israel-and-the-question-of-compulsory-military-service</ref><ref>https://archive.vn/dhkKL</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20130417174543/http://www.circassianworld.com/Haaretz_eng.html</ref>
combat service for women
 
   
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=== Circassian ===
{{wikipedia}}
 
   
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Men from the ''Circassian''' community are required to service on the same basis as Jewish men. These provisions were added to Israeli law at the request of the leaders of these communities. Military service became mandatory for Circassian men in 1958.<ref>https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/druze-in-israel-and-the-question-of-compulsory-military-service</ref><ref>https://archive.vn/dhkKL</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20130417174543/http://www.circassianworld.com/Haaretz_eng.html</ref>
[[Category: Conscription]]
 
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[[Category: Wikipedia]]
 
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=== Others ===
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Jews without Israeli citizenship may volunteer. Non-Jews are accepted for non-military volunteer work through the ''mahal'' program. This program sees them performing volunteer work at IDF bases without joining the IDF.<ref>https://lawoffice.org.il/en/idf-recruitment-of-foreign-citizens/</ref>
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== Combat ==
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Male IDF soldiers may be required to service in combat units. Female IDF soldiers may volunteer for combat duty but may not be forced in to it against their will. Women that volunteer for combat duty are placed in a relatively small number of border patrol units rather than front-line infantry units. While border patrol units are combat units they are significantly less likely to see action than infantry units and if they do it is less likely to be sustained. If it was considered politically necessary during a major conflagration these units could be withdrawn to defend Israel's cities, further reducing the likelihood of exposing women to harm.
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== See Also ==
  +
 
*[[Conscription]]
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{{Conscription}}
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{{Featured}}
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{{Israel}}
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{{Wikipedia}}
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== References ==

Latest revision as of 05:56, 1 November 2023

Conscription in Israel during peacetime has been in place since 1949, a year after Israel was founded. While Israel is widely known for drafting women this does not occur on the same basis as men. Only citizens and permanent residents of Israel may be drafted.

Various exemptions exist which allow for a high proportion of men and women to avoid mandatory military service. This is a growing political issue in Israel. In 2013, 26 percent of all potential conscripts were exempted from military service in the Israel Defense Forces; 13.5 percent for religious reasons, 4 percent for psychological reasons, 2 percent for physical health reasons, 3 percent due to existing criminal records, and 3 percent due to residing abroad. As of 2022, the minimum required length of military service is two years and eight months (with some roles requiring an additional four months of service) for all conscripted men, and two years (with some roles requiring an additional eight months of service) for conscripted Jewish women.

Categories

More than 20% of Israel's population is non-Jewish. In general, non-Jews are exempt from conscription in Israel. The following table provides a break down.

Ethnic Group Gender
Male Female
Haredi Jewish Exempt if in full-time religious study. Exempt
Non-Haredi Jewish Required Exempt if religious.
Palestinian Exempt Exempt
Bedouin Exempt Exempt
Druze Required Exempt
Circassian Required Exempt

Israeli citizens with an exemption from conscription may volunteer to serve in the IDF if they otherwise meet the entry requirements.

Haredi

Haredi men are exempt as long as they are studying Torah. In practice many men study for so long that they are eventually too old to be called for military service.

Haredi women are accepted as being religious and thus exempt from military service.

Non-Haredi

Non-Haredi women are only supposed to receive an exemption if they are actually religious. In practice manuy non-religious women have obtained exemptions. The problem has become so widespread that it has been reported that the IDF is cracking down on this in the 2020s.

Palestinian

Palestinians in the table above refer to Arab citizens of Israel, not residents of the West Bank which most nations consider to be under occupation by Israel.

A growing number of Palestinians are volunteering for service in the IDF.

Bedouin

Bedouin have a long history of volunteering and many have risen to high rank as career soldiers. Volunteering in the IDF is a way out of poverty for many Bedouin.

Druze

Men from the Druze community are required to service on the same basis as Jewish men. These provisions were added to Israeli law at the request of the leaders of these communities. Military service became mandatory for Druze men in 1956.[1][2][3]

Circassian

Men from the Circassian' community are required to service on the same basis as Jewish men. These provisions were added to Israeli law at the request of the leaders of these communities. Military service became mandatory for Circassian men in 1958.[4][5][6]

Others

Jews without Israeli citizenship may volunteer. Non-Jews are accepted for non-military volunteer work through the mahal program. This program sees them performing volunteer work at IDF bases without joining the IDF.[7]

Combat

Male IDF soldiers may be required to service in combat units. Female IDF soldiers may volunteer for combat duty but may not be forced in to it against their will. Women that volunteer for combat duty are placed in a relatively small number of border patrol units rather than front-line infantry units. While border patrol units are combat units they are significantly less likely to see action than infantry units and if they do it is less likely to be sustained. If it was considered politically necessary during a major conflagration these units could be withdrawn to defend Israel's cities, further reducing the likelihood of exposing women to harm.

See Also

This article contains information imported from the English Wikipedia. In most cases the page history will have details. If you need information on the importation and have difficulty obtaining it please contact the site administrators.

Wikipedia shows a strong woke bias. Text copied over from Wikipedia can be corrected and improved.

References