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Ashkenazi calls for universal army service
Shahar Hai
Published: 21.04.12, 20:55
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1. And all in military must pray and study torah for 2 years...
Other side of coin ,   Israel   (04.21.12)
Once this happens we will have the best and undefeatable soldiers in the world.
2. Wonder if all includes Arabs as well
Ilan   (04.21.12)
Does no exemptions have exemptions?
3. yes Arabs should also serve the country
yossi   (04.21.12)
through civilian service...NOBODY should be exempt...benefits are coming with duties
4. I hope it includes Arabs as well as rich Tel Avivians
Rod ,   Fargo N.Dakota   (04.21.12)
5. Is it a reasonable option
Raphael ,   Netanya   (04.21.12)
To draft Arabs and give then a free military training, so that they may be able to match IDF? I would rather leave them at home, saving 3 years to complete their university degrees. And if Haredim are stuck to draft dodging, I am sure they will not hesitate to convert to Islam.
6. arabs too
mike north ,   karmiel israel   (04.21.12)
Why shouldn't the arabs serve their country seeing they live here and enjoy the benefits? They could do community service in their areas in the same way that religious girls do.
7. Either service in the I.D.F. or three times
jason white ,   afula, israel   (04.21.12)
the amount of years in a forced labor camp.
8. If theLevite priests in the time of King Saul had at least
Rivkah   (04.21.12)
some military training even if they were exempt from battlefield killing, they might have been able to protect or defend themselves from King Saul and his guards after feeding David and his followers. Since they had no military training, the priests were slaughtered. It is a good idea to learn how to use a gun or other weapon and have it at hand at all times. IDF or National Service is critical to the nation. It is terrible in some aspects of military service but with all the enemies of Israel, it is necessary. There is a way for Israel to get greater protection from the hate of enemies, a way that would please HaShem. That is to stop using the six pointed star as a symbol and go to the menora as a symbol on Israel's flag. If you read a little book called "The Six Pointed Star: Its Origin and Usage" by Dr. O.J. Graham your will find from mostly Jewish reference sources that that is not a symbol of the Jews that is approved by HaShem.
9. to # 7
Vladimir ,   Yerushalayim   (04.21.12)
Where do you propose to build a new GULAG? In Negev?
10. RIGHT!
A Jerusalemite ,   Jerusalem, Israel   (04.21.12)
Right on Gabi Ashkenazi! As a former teacher in a school for children with special educational needs I am very familiar with the so-called 'religious' girls that do not serve in the IDF. At least 1/2 of them are NOT religious - they just don't want to serve in the IDF.
11. The High Court of Justice are the Orthodox Rabbis
Eli ,   Israel   (04.21.12)
THEY are the ones to tell religious Jews what to do. They said that it's much too dangerous spiritually for religious boys to join the military. The self-proclaimed men and women sitting in the court have no right telling religious Jews what to do. Ashkenazi should start with non-religious "elite" from Tel Aviv if he needs more men in the military.
12. #1 What do you do about Christians? Muslims? Atheists?
Gregg ,   Haifa, IL   (04.21.12)
13. Spouting hot air
Tom ,   USA   (04.21.12)
1. It will be voted down. 2. The next foreign 20 years old leftist provocateur will compel the IDF to run away and the officers will be punished. Israel passed the point of no return on the path to self destruction. The internal rot is unstoppable.
14. No. 12 Gregg
NYC Girl   (04.21.12)
Surely you don't think there aren't plenty of atheists in the army already. I personally know several.
15. Re#9 Yes, in the Negev. Lots of empty land.
Kolumn9 ,   Jerusalem   (04.21.12)
16. To: Jason at No. 7
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (04.21.12)
You have gone around the bend. Forced labor? Oh, no. Those who are capable of serving yet choose not to serve can be denied entrance to an Israeli university, or be required to pay double tuition. However, I remain unconvinced of the wisdom of conscripting those who have no loyalty to the State of Israel. I am not interested in growing any more Anat Kams -- or more deadly Arab equivalents. Jews can be required to perform national service. I don't want any Arabs forced to perform national service. I am quite content to require them to pay double tuition to enter university -- or to leave the country and study elsewhere. With any luck, they won't return.
17. All are equal under the Law
manugw ,   Argentina   (04.22.12)
Israel boast itself of being a democracy so all citizens shall have same rights and obligations under the Law. If religious guys who benefit from the State avoid the draft they shall make up for that, doing related mandatory civil tasks. The core of Judaism is shrouded in ethics.
18. Universal
David ,   USA   (04.22.12)
New York and other places are part of the Universe also. If they are unwilling to go to Israel and serve in the IDF they should loose their right of return as a Jewish citizen.
19. Draft
Yonason Ottenstein ,   Brooklyn, NY USA   (04.22.12)
I think that serving in the miliary should be voluntary like in the US Motivated people make the best soldiers. why draft people who really do not want to be there In the past it was probably necessary to draft because of limited manpower Today this situation is not the problem The arabs are not drafted because of possible dual loyalty but some like the Druze and Bedouin do serve Many times in the bible, they used only a limited number of motivate individuals for the army
20. An Israeli Politiian who makes sense, nu?
Yossi ,   Houston/Israel   (04.22.12)
21. Let the arabs built roads and the security wall.
Bunnie Meyer ,   Los Angeles, CA USA   (04.22.12)
22. So long as it is universal
Gee ,   Zikron Yaakov   (04.22.12)
Compared to the Christians and Muslims the Haridim serve do at least 10x times the service rate of them. Do not exempt the Cafe Commandos of Tel Aviv either - that city has the lowest rate of enlistment of any in Israel.
23. What about Arab "Jews?"
Josh ,   NY   (04.22.12)
"I think that everyone should serve the State of Israel." Since name of citizens of a country is based on the name of the country -- citizens of America are Americans, and citizens of Jewish Israel are all Jews, for example -- I would love to refer my question to Arab "Jews" of Israel. Do they have to serve in the IDF?
24. Ashkenazi calls for universal army service
Ariel Ben Yochanan ,   Kfar Tapuah, Efraim   (04.22.12)
B"H Thequestion is why? Why is he calling for universal army service? In the world professional armies are considered effective and countries moving away from the draft. The answer is: because he wants to enter politics and this a popular issue in Israel. It also is called Haredi bashing. With Borat's words: "My country has a problem, and the problem is the Jew.. Throw the Jew down the well, so my country can be free, so that my country can be free!"
25. to #22 Stop with your nonsense and the
jason white ,   afula, israel   (04.22.12)
mythical hara-dims that you think are serving. There are many muslims and christians that serve. I had one druze and one christian in my gun crew. We had no hara-dims in our battalion after the first one weaseled his way out. Where do you think the Beduin trackers come from? Bnei Brek? Meir Sharim? I served on a small base in lebanon in 1982 and about a third of the soldiers were Druze, no hara-dims there. The next base was about 90% non Jewish. Whoever does not serve has no place in Israeli society and we should make their lives hell on earth.
26. did any of the TBs understand the term Israeli?
Noa   (04.22.12)
A citizen is a citizen. No matter which religion, sex or background culture. A citizen should either serve the army or do civilian service. What is so difficult to understand? In other countries this has been done for decades.
27. #23
Mickey ,   Sydney Australia   (04.22.12)
The citizens of Holland are Dutch.
28. Universal army service
Shlomo ,   Haifa Israel   (04.22.12)
Its about time! Go for it Gabi Ashkenazi! Unfortunately, it was Menachem Begin who enabled girls to opt out of the army if they claimed to be religious. This is where the rot started to set in.
29. 1 May your wish come true.
ORA ,   JERUSALEM   (04.22.12)
30. #1 and 29 Ora , seperate state from religion
Haim ,   TA   (04.22.12)
Sorry dear but you will not force religion on secular non belivers, it is every persons basic human right to decide their religious beliefs or not. This is Israel not Iran. If you wish to belive in a bunch of fairy tales thats your right, but you cant force that on others and make them live by religious rules they do not belive in.
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