Increasing Numbers of Israeli Youth Escape Military Service

Interest in national service and Israel's violent wars of oppression have substantially reduced interest in serving in Israeli Defence Forces.

Courtesy: haaretz.com

(SALEM, Ore.) - Polls in Israel show that Israeli civilians have lost their enthusiasm to defend, join the army and participate in the war, in comparison to past decades. Statistics of military service desertion among the youth have had significant growth.

The Tel Aviv Times reports that the Israeli army General Staff personnel department said in a report that only half of Israelis who have reached legal age are sent to the military service, and rich families, Orthodox extremists and women have the highest share of desertion.

The report also says only 50 percent of boys and girls go to military service and 34.7 percent of girls make false claims of being religious for exemption, but according to surveys 30% of them are false.

According to polls, 83% of young people who desert do so due to their fear of death and the hardships of being a soldier and also the long term of military service.

The same poll showed that the motivation to participate in wars has reduced when compared to the past two decades and sixty percent of those who voluntarily participated in the war in the past have no more incentive to participate in the war or join the army.