A number of young men inside Israel refuse military service (Getty)
The Israeli occupation army announced today, Wednesday, its intention to extend military service in the future with the aim of increasing the number of reserve soldiers, according to what Israeli media reported.
Commenting on the announcement, Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Yisrael Beytenu party, said that publishing the draft conscription law is “a message that divides the people and harms the soldiers and national security.”
A segment of Jewish youth in Israel refuses to perform military service, especially in light of the ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant considered earlier that the escalating calls in his country to refuse military service “threaten the unity of the ranks, are dangerous, and represent a prize for our enemies,” as he described it.
According to Israeli regulations, the period of compulsory military service is 32 months for males over the age of 18, and 24 months for women, and anyone who refuses to do so may face imprisonment for up to 200 days, in addition to social pressure.
In light of the war on the Gaza Strip, leaders of the religious Jews (Haredim) renewed their opposition to recruitment into the occupation army. The participation of this group in the army is one of the most sensitive and tense issues in Israeli society, as secularists oppose the religious Jews not being recruited and their gaining advantages beyond what they offer to Israel.
Source: Al Jazeera