why do you ignore this fact? The answer is that, sadly, you have lost your edge for truth in journalism and are too busy meeting your own political agenda. P

During peaceful protests I saw Yassam shock troops and regular IDF soldiers specifically picking out religious youth who "looked guilty" (skull cap, tzitziot, aged 14-18) for indiscriminate beatings with hard objects. I also saw how "blue police" mocked these children when they prayed during detention. Now the army wants these children to risk their lives fighting Arab terrorists while the Yassam troops rest at home? It seems more suitable that the army first draft Olmert's children.

"Draft-dodging among national religious youths growing" The vast majority will do army service in the end. Nothing to be concerned about.

The bare facts are that the rate of draft dodging by chiloni youth is much higher than amoung the religious youth. Y Net & the rest of the far left media just loves to bash the religious & ignor their oun faults. Same on all of you!

uses the IDF ONLY for expelling Jews. Why should any sane Jewish-hearted soul be interested in joining the IDF and then sit in jail for not pulling their own brothers out of their homes? Kol Hakovod to all Draft-Dodgers! Kein Yirbu!!!!

the IDF commanders have been screwing religious soldiers over from the get go. No promotions, not putting them in combat units, commanders ordering soldiers to get in a jeep and but them cigarettes on shabbos or get punished, assigning religious soldiers to expel jews from Jewish settlements and the list goes on Then we have all these hiloni draft dodgers starting with one olmert boy and another who is AWOL why should the national religious take all the abuse???? let the children of the "elite" serve and serve not as jobniks like daddy olmert , yossi sarid etc.

With Ynet in the lead with its anti religious stance and constant bassing of people living in Judea and the Shomron,which they still call the westbank. As much as Ynet and the other global peaganist media like to portray a israeli state, many of us have no more connection to what the state has become. We love the land but the state and its institutions do not represent us,including the IDF. With more expulsions on the way,there is no reason for many young people to join the IDF. So Ynet has been very sucsesfull in creating a divide that is only getting bigger. For many of these young men being jewish comes first , being israeli far second.They know that the state and the IDF have become increasingly come under control of people that have no concern for them to say the least. Maybey you boys at Ynet will learn that the pen is mightier then the sword and that the poison directed at us, has resulted in us not wanting to be part of your multi cultural utopian secular demoncratic society. Again this article is just another little step in creating a antisentiment among your enlightend elevated humanists.

I'm shocked that there is only a 7% increase! After all that they've been through and continue to go through...and they still join this institution? It never ceases to amaze me how much sacrifice the national religious youth make for their country. The IDF should kiss their feet when they inaugurate because without them, the IDF would be losing many of thier best soldiers. This is the youth that will grow to be True leaders of our people. I can't wait!

There may be a real emergency and the country is threatened. Also there may be a point where the solders may need to say no to orders. http://ralphsrant1.blogspot.com/

the article doesnt say 7% of religious youth - it says the number of previous draft dodgers amongst religious youth has grown. but since this original number had been so minute -then the rise is also minute. but of cause couldn't expect ynet to point this out

Olmert is like an insane man holding a gun to his own head and threatening to pull the trigger unless the religious boys do the army. I was an army medic but when my son grows up, I won't know what to tell him. How can you do army service literally alongside soldiers who beat you and your family? Sharon was screaming that the religious right was threatening a "War against brothers (civil war)" while he was sending troops against them. Another clever (blah!) tactic of the left is to accuse the right of crimes theat they (the left) are actively involved in perpetrating. Religious coersion?! I only see the non-religious prohibiting free JEWiSH worship. What about the rising figures of non-religious who don't do army?

People condemn slavery in Sudan (for good reason), yet they turn a blind eye to salvery in Israel. Are people so unmotivated that they have to be forced to serve? Consider the US and Canada.

While the current drop off is likely true, the real FACT is that in relation to their numbers in Israel, there are more national religious serving- and as officers too- than ANY sector in Israel. Nevertheless, who in their right mind (no pun intended) would blame these zionist youths for opting out after the criminal way that their government treated their communities? 23 ! wonderful, legal (& tax paying) Jewish communities were DESTROYED, all to satiate the Islamist beasts. Not only that, but to add to the outrage, Arab communities in Israel are built by the thousands illegally, and NOTHING is done. On top of that, the government lied through their teeth when they said 'there is a solution for every community'. Two years after the dastardly deed was done we can all see through their bald faced deception. On top of ALL of these outrages, the Islamists living in THEIR destroyed Jewish communities are now shooting rockets night and day trying to kill as many Jews as possible. And what does this gov't do - NOTHING!