national service will be compulsory being a citizen of the country -its not up your own decision. You don't have to do it. That is OK. On the other hand, israel will then have grounds to kick you out of the country which they should, the wholly bloody lot of you, disloyal, arafat and tibi loving complainers and whiners. and bibi, you made a big mistake in bringing the rotten plesner kadima group into your government, because they are rotten and weak to the core sitting there like weaklings while olmert screwed up everything and then appointing an asskissing plesner to head the draft committe. Liberman is correct about some king of citizenship work and if the arabs don't want to do it,t hat provides grounds to remove their citizenship and ship them the hell out.

If you want o enjoy the rights of citizenship, you have to pay your dues. Since they are already volunteering, there is no inherent objection to serving. Sounds more like an anarchistic move on the part of the arab community.

"This is an attempt to humiliate us and another way to introduce racist laws against the Arab sector" Oh man get real. when do they ever stop playing the ultimate victim card? Good thing about this is that it will separate the chaff from the wheat. We will get to see who are the real 5th column and take note of just who they are among the israeli arabs.

We must insist either the arabs are obligated to do a form of civilian national service ( we don't want them in the army ) or we must drop the demands for the haredi to serve. These are the two sectors of society that are exempt so if we are going to take away the exemption it must apply to both groups or neither. The arabs are disgusting hypocrites who one minute are saying they are Israeli citizens but as soon as we ask them ti give something back to the state we are insulting them. Unless it is for specific reasons like medical conditions age etc then certain rights should be conditional on some form of national service possibly even going as far as making the right to vote something you don't get if you don't serve. Time to stop focussing on the haredi so much and go after the arabs.

If everyone is required to do it how is it racist? Until now there has been a racist law that basically said that the Arabs are 2nd class citizens not worthy of being asked to participate. The proposed law does away with that. As to institutions, once the sector starts paying their taxes properly, and not bankrupting their towns then there will be funding for more institutions.

DEMOCRACY works! Same rules for everybody. If you don't like it LEAVE.

It's not an attempt to humiliate you, it's an attempt to integrate you more fully into Israeli society. For better or worse, if you're going to live in Israel, you need to be an Israeli. If you cannot do that, you do not belong here. Go somewhere else.

So they want recognition for their "spirit of volunteerism." I suppose they feel that they are more special than others, who may face mere conscription. I'm pleased to see that their "volunteerism" was made out of the selfless desire to help. Yeah, right. Run 'em out of the country; they don't deserve to call the State of Israel home.

...and is the first step to a truly democratic and free Palestine Israel, 2 States, 1 Country, with freedom and equal rights, and equal opportunity for all.

Differentiation in rights and obligations between different sections of society is effectively a form of discrimination or may be interpreted as a form of social apartheid. Although not the physical segregation implied by the SA version of apartheid, a failure to apply non-discriminatory laws will only endorse the false accusations of apartheid. The duplicity is astounding!

If the there is a law that national service is compulsory, then the citizen cannot argue. Whoever does not want to serve the country they live in, they are most welcome to leave the country.

there are no sanctions imposed? This whole debacle is just a waste of time. Make social services and assitance contigent on service. What's the big deal? Anyone who has a problem with that can start growing their own food. Anyone who has a problem an is militant about it can still get assitance; in prison. Haredi and Arab alike. Done. Where's my Peace Prize?

Both societies show utter ignorance of what democracy and the rule of law is. Both societies are used to being a privileged sector who take the development, security and stipends they get from the state they live in as something that comes from their sky and not the result of the hard work, sacrifice and contribution of the Jewish Zionist population in Israel, which built the country and continue to be the one that develop and protect her. The audacity of these 2 sectors is maddening. START DOING SOMETHING FOR THE COUNTRY YOU LIVE IN.

Why would Arab volunteers think that compulsory service diminishes what they do? I don't quite understand it.

Suddenly being given all the responsibilities of citizenship can be scary. To be told okay now you must also contribute to the country where you live is a shock that the Arab citizens never had to face before. They have a right to demand the benefits such a contribution will demand of them. It is no longer acceptable to favour Jewish schools, settlements and services with better monies and equipment. If the Arab citizenry is going to be asked to be full members of society then they deserve all the benefits too. This is the best thing that could happen to Israel. All the leaders in history realized that Israeli Arabs will have to become fully integrated if Israel is to survive. This is a great start. National service or the serving in the IDF should be mandatory of all citizens to get state benefits. And those who serve should be recognized for their service.

You are describing Israel, except that while Israeli Arabs do enjoy all the rights and privileges of citizenship, they do not incur all of the obligations. Two states, one country? I don't think so. There is an ersatz "Palestinian" state, it's called Jordan -- there's another one in the making to the west of Israel called "Gaza." All ersatz "Palestinians" are welcome to move there, if they are unhappy with their lives in Israel. So exactly what are you babbling about?

The free ride is over for arabs & haredim. They won't be jailed if they don't serve, but they don't get any more taxpayer money. The arabs can do something positive & help their communities for a change (also replant some of the thousands of trees they've burned).

First, they complain that Israel singles them out and humiliate them because Israel doesn't require Arabs to serve in the army or do national service. Now, that Israel is proposing to do that, the Arabs are complaining that doing so would single them out and humiliate them. These people need their heads examined!

Friends- We all look upon you as citizens of the state of Israel- Musilim, Christan, or Jew - there is no difference, you will be serving in your own army , therefore do your duty with pride and let us be one, and part of this nation.

One key question I have is this, 'Does the IDF really need or want every male and female Jew and Arab to do compulsory IDF service? Traditional Jews and others object to girls bearing arms. Will there be enough IDF jobs for all religious Jewish and Arab girls? Even at the height of the Vietnam War, America hever drafted Divinity students of any recognised religion. We had '4D' exemptions. Will Israel show less regard for yeshivah and kollel students?

The only fair path is national service of one sort or the other. All sectors must serve our country. No other way is acceptable. If Arabs want to volunteer in addition, they are welcome to do so. How can any Arab say that there are no places in the Arab sector for Arabs to volunteer? In schools, the police, traffic monitoring, local sanitation (street clean-ups, park clean-ups), there are countless opportunites for Arabs to serve Arabs.