Israel wages war on army of refuseniks
Annette Young, The Scotsman, 26 Aug 2007
http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1356412007

When Arik Diamant's mother discovered her son was to refuse to do reserve duty for the Israeli army she pleaded with him to reconsider his decision, even offering to resign her job and work in a charity of his choice. But the former paratrooper and now software engineer was determined. "My parents were terrified that the ramifications of such a decision would destroy my life and endanger my career opportunities," said the 34-year-old co-founder of the Courage to Refuse movement. While Diamant and 600 fellow reservist refuseniks are making headlines over their choice, the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) is becoming increasingly worried that the numbers of Jewish men evading army service is on the rise. The trend is particularly noticeable among those aged 18 to 21, who under Israeli law must serve three years in the military. New figures reveal that 27% of potential male draftees do not now serve in the IDF, with this year's draft being the smallest in recent times.

Nothing has enraged army chiefs more, however, than potential recruits dodging front-line service while parading their talents on TV. Matters came to a head recently when the line-up for the Israeli version of the hit show Pop Idol contained several contestants who were at the age at which they should have been doing their military service. The Prime Minister's Office is now planning a blacklist of entertainers so that councils know who should not be hired for civic celebrations. Councils are also being urged not to employ conscripts or reservists - Israeli men are expected to commit to up to one month a year on reserve duty that ends when they reach their mid-40s - who refuse to fight unless they have been legally exempted. Last week, a petition was also being circulated by high-level Israeli businesspeople calling for the business community to discriminate against draft dodgers seeking employment.

Evidence of a new get-tough policy emerged earlier this month when an appearance at a 'Friends of the IDF' concert by pop singer Ivri Lider was abruptly cancelled. His agent, Roni Arditi, said the singer, who did not serve in the IDF, was asked to put his name to a letter declaring he "likes the IDF and respects its values". When he reportedly refused to do so, his appearance was cancelled. The reasons for the lack of commitment are clear. The recent Intifada and last year's bloody war against Hamas in Lebanon, are fuelling the reluctance to sign up. IDF officials also insist the yuppification of Israel is a contributing factor, with the MTV and internet generation much more interested in making money than serving at an army checkpoint on the West Bank. Ultra-Orthodox Jews are excused from military service on religious grounds. But leaving aside those who live outside Israel or have criminal records, 7% are being excused because of either medical conditions or "psychological incompatibility".

According to the IDF, however, the number of those claiming "psychological incompatibility" has increased markedly. One IDF official said: "While there are those who cannot serve for legitimate psychological problems, there's a need to target people who turn up at recruitment centres with a letter from their psychiatrist saying they're mentally unfit, and the next minute they're running a hi-tech company. These are people who have decided to not take part in what we view as an integral part of an Israeli's social responsibility. It's as if they've sent a letter to the tax office to say: 'Sorry, I don't feel like paying taxes this year.'"

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