IDF initiative: High schools to help fight draft-dodging

VIDEO - As part of the continuing struggle to reduce the number of youths shirking military service, the IDF recently proposed enlisting the help of Israel's high schools. An initiative led by Human Resources Chief Major-General Elazar Stern would have principals submit evaluations of each student approaching draft age. "Our goal is to improve our information about new recruits. Sometimes, certain information can affect a decision regarding a soldier's draft. We want to eliminate existing information gaps about recruits, using the schools," a military source said. Evaluations would be given about all potential recruits, not just those who are suspected of being "problematic". The military hopes such information will improve rates of enlistment. Last week, procedures for the August 2007 draft were accompanied by reports that fewer recruits were opting to serve in combat units and that a growing number of soldiers were leaving the army ahead of schedule. Stern is expected to arrive Monday at the military induction center to observe the current enlistment process up close, as part of an effort to help the IDF's Human Resources Branch hammer out parameters for the new initiative. The program "is at the idea stage for now," the military source said. He emphasized that several outside sources would be consulted and added that legal approval would be necessary for such an initiative to be authorized. The IDF already collects, via questionnaires and various tests, a personal profile on each potential recruit that includes information about him or her, their family, financial, medical and legal history and even their technical knowledge. The initiative would give the IDF information on factors such as social status, leadership skills and forms of social interactions. Such information could make it harder for a potential recruit to shirk service on the claim that he would not be able to handle the IDF socially or emotionally. What about privacy? Stern recently met with high school principals, many of whom encouraged the major-general to take such steps to prevent draft-dodging. "We can't say at this point how the initiative will affect things when it first takes off, but at the end of the day, the goal is to reduce the number of draft-age citizens who choose to avoid military service," the military source said. Meretz faction chairman MK Zahava Gal-On censured the initiative, saying it "goes against all laws of privacy which were legislated in order to protect personal information and which prohibit surveillance or monitoring of students, or use of their personal information." This is not the first time the major-general has proposed controversial steps to combat draft-dodging. In late 2006, Ynet reported that IDF soldiers who leave the army early for non-medical reasons would be marked as having been released for "bad behavior." "I don't think the government and the Knesset do enough to help us combat the phenomenon of draft-dodging. I expect the importance of service to be expressed, not only in statements, but also in legislation," Stern said Monday. Amnon Meranda contributed to this report

IDF initiative: High schools to help fight draft-dodging

(Video) Human Resources Chief proposes getting evaluations from principals on students approaching draft age; 'Knesset doesn't do enough to combat phenomenon,' general says