I knew months ago that this refusal would be the major repercussion from Sharon's cynical abuse and misuse of the IDF. The IDF is the most respected institution in Israel simply because it is a people's army, and is the institution that protects each and every Israeli. When Sharon deliberately (knowing that most wouldn't dare harm their revered soldiers) used the IDF as a political bludgeon, he caused a literal tsunami among the youth that are traditionally the most eager to serve. The leftist youth in Israel try every trick in the book not to serve, mostly because they are too afraid to get their hands dirty. Many also feel more compassion for those trying to kill them, than for the need to protect their fellow citizens. Consequently, Sharon will have cost the army some of its best soldiers. Why in the world should they want to join an army that is capable of causing them so much pain? Sharon has turned the mandated mission of the IDF upside its head. That is a fact, no matter how many Israelis try to spin it otherwise. It is as if a death has occurred in Israel on a collective scale. Simply tragic, yet self inflicted. I suspect that when a new PM is elected that truly governs with zionist ideals, these youths will start to regain trust in the IDF. However, not before.

Those who benefit most from the soldiers constant protection, the settlers, encourage their own not to join. they are like slugs, seeping any resources they can out of society and returning as little as they can get away with. Then justifying in by saying they live on some moral 'high ground'

The young people would be more than happy to sign up if they knew their mission was to defend Israel. That is what the IDF was created for.

better they stay home than bit poor palestinian children and give great photo ops to the foreign press...

A GREAT IDEA IF IT WILL WORK. IT WAS A POLITICAL PROJECT AND NOT FOR THE ARMY. P.M.SHARON MADE A VERY BAD JUDGMENT. HE LIT THE MATCH THAT WILL IGNITE A WAR! AS MINISTER DULAHN SAID, " I WILL BRING 250, 000 PALISTINIANS TO GAZA. THIS WILL ENABLE HIM TO BUILD AN ARMY OF AT LEAST 30,000 SOLDIERS. PRESIDENT BUSH HAS SENT ABBAS $50 MILLION USA DOLLARS. MORE WILL COME FROM SAUDI ARABIA AND OTHER ARAB NATIONS. SO, BOYS, GO TO CANADA. LIKE THE AMERICAN BOYS DID DURING THE VIET WAR. SHALOM

You lock these kids up in a fundamentalist Yeshiva and this is what you get. A mob of self righteous superior race religious fanatics. They should close the fundamentalist yeshiva's. They've already started sending assasins into the world, Goldstein etc.

A good reason for a regular army, not conscripted

How many of these so-called "draft-dodgers" are religious, and therefore prone and, if women, even entitled to receive an exemption from the military? This seems like a lot of hot air.

DEFEND ISRAEL FROM WHOM , ISRAEL MUST DEFEND ITSELF FROM ITSELF, ISRAEL EXTREMISTS RELIGIOUS PEOPLE MORE DANGEROUS ON ISRAEL THAN HAMAS , JIHAD ,OR ALQAEDA .IF THOSE EXTREMISTS RELIGIOUS NOT STOP TEACHING THE NEW GENERATION THE HATE OF THE ARABS WHOM THEY LIVE IN THE MIDDLE OF THEIR WORLD THE ISRAEL WILL VANISHED SOONER OR LATER , ISRAEL SURROUNDED BY ARABS , 50% OR MORE OF THE RESIDENT OF ISRAEL ARABS , SO FARM LOVE TO HARVE LOVE , OR VICE VIRSA .

First expell Jews from their homes then dance like maniacs. Have fun.

These kids refusing to go in the army, are just humiliating us further, and putting Jewish Lives at risk. Do they realise that we are being laughed at by our enemies all over the world? I would say to them "GROW UP" and stop being such Selfish, Ignorant Kids!

The minds of these young people have been twisted by corrupt messianic rabbis. Fundamentalist messianic yeshivot should be outlawed.

just as with the armageddon and civil war that was promised during the disengegement, the mass refusal which never appeared and the lack of violence so this is also rubbish. they have managed to find a few idiots who say they will have 5,000 but will get less than a hundred, if that. i live in a settlement and i can see loads of young men training every day so they can get into the notoriously hard elite units as the religious public have always done and continue to be over represented. to those who say we are using the army and tax payers money i can tell you that we have no army base near us and we pay for our own private security. so please dont repeat that canard. the religious zionist public have shown en masse that although they may have disagreements with certain policy decisions( like everyone) they are feircely loyal to the state and will remain so regardless of the odd rabbi or idiot the press manage to dredge up for sensationalism

The ruthless ethnic cleansing of almost 10,000 Jews from Gaza and north Samaria left Jews jobless and homeless . Military analysts state the retreat will greatly endanger Israel’s security. There are alarming facts the public are unaware of reported by David Bedein in Israelnationalnews.com, August 3, 2005: “The Sharon Plan, termed by his PR copywriter "disengagement", is actually a plan to empower the PLO. 14 clauses of Sharon's plan address Israel's commitment to strengthen an entity that remains at war with the state of Israel. The people of Israel have been conditioned by the media and even by Sharon's opposition to think that this is a program for "Gaza withdrawal". 1. The decision of the government of Israel from June 6th, 2004 not to allow international bodies to hand over confiscated assets from Gush Katif or Samaria to "anyone involved in terror"; and the subsequent directive of the government of Israel to the World Bank on June 23rd, 2004, which eliminated that vital clause. In other words, if the police or the IDF are asked to evict a Jew from his home and hand over his assets to terrorists, then they would be acting in direct violation of a crucial decision of the government of Israel. 2. The revelation that Eival Giladi, the prime minister's appointee to administer the Disengagement Plan has a special incentive to succeed, as he is paid handsomely by Palestinian interests to orchestrate the incursion of Palestinian enterprises - resorts and casinos - that would replace the evicted Jewish communities. This is the tip of the iceberg of people close to the prime minister who stand to reap personal benefit from the Disengagement.” An Emergency Disengagement Investigation Commission is required immediately. There are many players involved in this ruthless victimization of Israel’s Jews. israelinsider.com ‘Does corruption drive Israeli Disengagement?’ By Rachel Neuwirth, July 31, 2005 http://web.israelinsider.com/Views/6162.htm

You Are wrong Dave, These boys would have been ready to jump in fire in the IDF, had they not been stabed in the back by their own brethern.

Dave, you are the sick one here. The "settlers" were the ones who were terrorized for years, and acted as buffers for all those in the coastal cities, yourself included. The IDF will be the first to verify that it is the religious zionists who are not only the best soldiers, but comprise a majority of the officers. This fact makes people like you crazy. How can the "despised" religious zionist be so moral, AND serve the country so well?? Instead of reviling them (out of your sense of inferiority) you should be kissing their collective feet. As a secular zionist, I know who deserves my respect. It certainly isn't people like yourself!

anti semitic or not- yes many Americans were DARN glad to see those occuppying leeches kicked out of PALESTINE. Finally.!!!!

In response to #3 "ISRAEL SEIZED JEWISH LAND & ASSETS FOR ISLAMISTS ", that should read "ISRAELIS STOLE PALESTINIAN LAND & ASSETS FOR ZIONISTS" . The land is being returned to Palestinians, (hopefully). In response to #6, "MOVE TO CANADA" , My feeling is that the "displaced Jews" should be moved to Manhattan, NYC. They would be safe there, in amongst the world's largest Jewish population. Besides, you won't be safe in Canada, because we have a very diverse multi ethnic large population of Muslims, and unlike our Amerikkkan cousins, they are still allowed their rights and freedoms. So, its off to Amerikkka, land of the freak, and home of the insane!

"As a secular zionist, I know who deserves my respect. It certainly isn't people like yourself! Adina Kutnicki ,NJ, USA." So, Adina, as a secular zionist, shouldn't you be moving to and living in Israel, and supporting what you claim to believe in? Why do you live in the USA? Are you a "Want the cake and eat it too" kind of Jew? Hmmmm.