Member-only story
My previous article about Israeli xenophobia has generated some questions that I am sure many Americans will have when they read it. The facts of life about living in Israel, however, are radically different than the facts of life about living in the United States. The United States may give substantial financial assistance to Israel, which is well known and publicized, but make no mistake: it’s on the other side of the world in more ways than just geography!
First of all, I never CHOSE to serve in the IDF! The law in Israel states that for every male of draftable age who resides in Israel, regardless of his citizenship status, military service in the Israel Defense Forces is REQUIRED BY LAW, like it or not. Any male over the age of 30 is required to undergo basic training, after which he is obligated to serve in the reserves for a minimum of 30 days every year. When the Soviet Union came to an end, the huge wave of immigrants that relocated to Israel were the reason that a law was passed that made all male immigrants age 35 and older exempt from military service. Both men and women are drafted and must undergo basic training. Women serve two years, but women who are religious and submit documentation confirming their religious affiliation are usually assigned to National Service and not service in the IDF. Men under 30 serve various lengths of time according to their age and marital status. Yes, it’s complicated. Even immigrants without Israeli citizenship who reside in Israel are drafted; that’s the price an immigrant pays for relocating there.
