Will soldiers leave the army sooner?
Photo: Yael Bar-Hillel, IDF
Shorter army service considered
Defense Minister Mofaz says security establishment reexamining proposals to reduce mandatory service term
TEL AVIV - The se curity establishment is reconsidering proposals to shorten the mandatory army service term in light of the improved security situation, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz says.
"I hope we can indeed get there," Mofaz said during a convention at Tel Aviv University.
Israeli men are currently drafted into the IDF at 18 and are expected to serve three years, but Mofaz said a reduction of as much as six months is being looked into. Women, meanwhile, serve a two-year mandatory term.
The defense minister said he was about to submit a proposal to that effect before the current intifadah erupted. Following the outbreak of violence, he said, he realized the question could not be discussed at that time.
Mofaz said he does not want to see a situation where "fathers serve before sons," that is, a reliance on reserve soldiers. He said plans to grant an exemption from reserve service at an earlier age are being examined, as is the option of calling up reservists for training and emergency cases only.
'Those who serve are not suckers'
Mofaz added that the current model, which requires the entire population to enlist for army service, is the best possible scheme.
"We cannot renounce mandatory IDF service in its current format," he said. "This service has crucial value, in security and social terms."
The defense minister also addressed the increasing rate of youngsters who do not join the army, and said some sections of society are adopting "selfish, egotistical norms."
"What's bothersome is the legitimization and forgiving attitude accorded to those evading army service," he said. "Those who serve are not 'suckers'…but rather, deserving of admiration."
