Fewer girls join army
Photo: Effie Shrir
Girls shun army
More than 40 percent of girls eligible for army service in 2005 fail to enlist; IDF increasingly concerned
TEL AVIV – IDF officials are increasingly concerned about the increase in the rate of girls who opt out of the army.
In 1991, about 32 percent of girls eligible for army service failed to enlist in the IDF, but in 2005 the figure stood at 42.3 percent. In the past year, the number of girls who opted out of the army after declaring they were religious rose by 2.2 percent compared to last year, IDF Personnel Directorate Head Elazar Stern told reporters Sunday.
“There are enough jobs for these girls in the IDF,” Stern said. “There’s an unbearable ease in all matters related to submitting affidavits regarding a request for an exemption on religious grounds.”
Slight decrease in motivation
On a different front, stern presented data indicating a slight decrease in new recruits’, both male and female, motivation to serve in combat units. Overall, 63.9 percent of recruits asked to serve in a field unit compared to 64.3 percent last year.
The decrease could be explained by the relative lull in fighting with the Palestinians, he said.
“The decreasing rate of girls in the IDF also affects the guys, as they come from the same environment,” Stern said. “The question of motivation should not be taken for granted.”
Stern also noted the upcoming recruitment round features the first signs of a smaller regular army, with the number of new recruits going down as a result of demographical changes and a lower rate of immigration into the country, as well as an increase in the number of exemptions granted.
As a result of the trend, it would be difficult to implement proposals calling for a shorter mandatory army service, he said.
