A low physical and mental profile will no longer provide cover for those looking to get out of army service. It has become known to Ynet that the IDF has decided to treat one of the more painful issues on the Israeli agenda – the drastic rise in youngsters looking to shirk their army duty on the background of being "unsuitable," or having a low profile.
Until now, many youngsters could hide behind a low profile claiming that they were medically unsuitable for army service, and not an intentional effort to dodge army service. This is all about to change.
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| Rabbi Aviner: Support religious girls who enlisted to IDF / Neta Sela |
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One of notable rabbis of national-religious movement doesn't permit enlistment of religious girls, but 'praises and supports' girls who decide to join ranks of IDF. Maj.-Gen. Stern: Religious girls' service contributes to solidarity of nation. Non-profit organization established to guide religious girls through military service |
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The extent to which soldiers exploit mental health officers and various committees to obtain an evaluation of being "unsuitable" for service, sent a red flag to General Stern. In closed conversations, the general said that the phenomenon severely damages to value of military service.
"It shouldn't be that soldiers are released from the IDF without any justified reason and don't give it a moments though while their friends carry the burden," Stern said.
The brunt of the problem focuses around soldiers who don't suffer from a clear mental or physical sickness, and yet manage to receive an exemption by playing the system, either before or during their army service.
The IDF's Human Resources Directorate published for the first time in Ynet that there is a new initiative to act against such soldiers, even by affecting their functioning in civilian life, for example, by preventing them from being eligible for a driver's license.
Officials from the Medical Corps and the Military Prosecutor's Office have partnered up with General Stern's initiative due to the sensitive nature the steps IDF has chosen to take.
"The main objective is to decrease the number of soldiers who think they have an easy way of getting exemption from service without a justified reason," a senior officer explained.
"For those who do warrant a medical exemption, they will receive it. But many others are freeloading on this and refuse to serve claiming that they have problems adapting, become violent or commit serious discipline offenses. Then, they are released from service when the only thing written on their record is that they were 'unsuitable,'" he continued.
According to him, "We want to limit this and to make it clear to whomever thinks he found an easy way to dodge the military that he will never receive any award in civilian life."
Soldiers who chose to leave the military for unsavory reasons will be released with a record saying he was "released for bad behavior." Such a record could damage a person's chances of being accepted to various jobs. The IDF hopes that the buck won't stop here. The IDF hopes that soon such people will have a hard time receiving a driver's license or a license to carry a weapon.
However, that is not the end of the overhaul. The IDF’s “profile book” would soon change, and some of the soldiers who had received a low physical and mental profile in the past, and with it an exemption from serving, would receive another profile.
The new profile would allow the continuation of their service in the IDF in special positions within suitable working environments. These new profiles are being piloted at present.
“Strengthening service is a very important and significant issue in the IDF, especially in light of the many missions the IDF has, and we need to minimize the number of those who choose not to serve for convenience reasons at the expense of their friends,” the senior official said.
"It goes without saying that the Israeli society plays an important role in denouncing draft dangers – and that’s what we hope will be,” the senior official concluded.
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