Arab teen. Wants to be an Israeli pilot
Photo: Gil Nechoshtan
Ben-Eliyahu. 'This cannot be prevented from Israeli citizens'
Photo: Jeremy Feldman
Former IAF chief backs Arab pilot
Senior officials at IDF's Personnel Directorate say Arab Muslim youth who asked to join army's pilot training course should be drafted if he meets all security requirements, Israel's leading newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reports
The Arab Muslim youth who asked to join
the army's pilot training course has dropped a bomb and we will have to deal with it, senior officials at the IDF's Personnel Directorate said following Monday's publication in Israel's leading newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
The teen was also surprisingly supported by former Israel Air Force Commander Eitan Ben-Eliyahu, who told Yedioth Ahronoth Monday that he is generally in favor of integrating Arab Muslims into the Air Force as pilots, after they meet all the security requirements and tests.
"This cannot be prevented from citizens of the State of Israel, where they have full rights and duties," Ben-Eliyahu said.
"Each case should be examined individually, as well as examining the candidate's level of loyalty," he said.
'Remarkable loyalty to the State'
During Ben-Eliyahu's term as IAF commander, Druze citizens were first allowed to join the army's pilot course.
A senior official at the IDF's Personnel Directorate, who is familiar with the affair, said that the Arab youth is part of an exceptional family, which has declared its remarkable loyalty to the State of Israel at any opportunity.
The official added that if the teen's qualifications would be found to be high enough, he should be summoned to the course after his suitability in security terms is confirmed.
A number of IDF officials, however, expressed their objection to the move Monday, saying that with all due respect to the youth's request, the time has still not come for recruiting an Arab Muslim to such a sensitive role in the Israeli army.
