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Photo: Yaron Brenner
Mofaz at press conference
Photo: Yaron Brenner

Mofaz announces IDF service revolution

Mandatory military service term to be cut to only two years for most soldiers by 2010; combat soldiers to serve longer term

Revolution in the IDF: starting in 2010, most IDF soldiers will only perform a mandatory two-year military service term, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and Army Chief Dan Halutz announced in a press conference Monday evening.

 

Combat soldiers and troops who perform special functions will serve two years and four months and get considerable financial compensation for their efforts.

 

Currently, male soldiers serve a three-year term.

 

The changes will take effect gradually and the first to experience it will be recruits who join the army in the summer of 2006; they will serve two years and eight months. Those who joined the service after August 2004 will end their service four months early. The IDF will determine whether to keep the soldiers for a longer period of time and pay them accordingly.

 


Mofaz and Halutz (Photo: Yaron Brenner)

 

Minister Mofaz said a committee's recommendation to call off special IDF tracks in order to implement the model is still under examination. The IDF will also need to examine what to do about the Yeshiva soldiers who serve a year and half.

 

"In the past, conditions to make these changes were not met. Today it is possible in light of the security situation. In 2010, they will serve two years only. We need to remember that in other Western countries people already have their Bachelor's and Master's degree," Mofaz said.

 

Lightening the load

 

In July, 2005 Mofaz ordered the establishment of a committee headed by Avi Ben Bassat to study the ramifications of reducing the mandatory service in the IDF.

 

The final conclusions of the committee were presented to Mofaz and approved by him. The defense minister has hinted of the coming changes in his visits to army bases in the past few months and said the load on the soldiers should be lightened. He explained that shortening the service will help young Israelis to integrate early into universities and the Israeli work force.

 

Even before the committee introduced its conclusions, Mofaz stressed the need to distinguish between combat soldiers and those who serve in the rear and in less-crucial duties. Under the new scheme, soldiers who are essential to the system will serve longer than those who are in less essential professions.

 

Ben Bassat's committee conclusions are indeed a revolution for the IDF, as well as another committee Mofaz established, the Braverman committee that called for reducing the load on army reserve soldiers by reducing the exemption age to 40 years of age, and deploying reserves for emergencies only.

 

The beginning of implementing this radical step brought on the exchange of army reserves with soldiers in mandatory duty. The army now faces the challenge of implementing both revolutions without hurting the army's capabilities.

 

"No doubt, this is no small challenge, we'll have to think carefully how to deal with the cutback in manpower", a high ranking army official told Ynet.

 


פרסום ראשון: 02.13.06, 19:41
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