"According to the bill's explanatory notes, over a third of those required by law to enlist already do not do so, compared with a quarter in 1990. Between 2013 and 2017, the number of soldiers discharged as unsuited to military service has grown 15%. At the same time, combat units are almost full to capacity, and supply exceeds demand in non-combat units.
Five years ago, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz said, “This era of massive regular forces no longer exists. We have to take advantage of human resources and technological developments. … [We need] a small regular force equipped, fast, flexible, armored, lethal and ready.”
Raz explained to Al-Monitor this week that according to his model, fewer people would enlist but they would serve longer periods, meaning the soldiers would be older — even parents — more professional and more level-headed. At the same time, straight-A high school students prevented from serving in combat units because of medical issues could make good use of their talents and contribute to the country in the civil sector. " al monitor
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The IDF ground army has become one of the most over-rated armies in the world and even in the Middle East. This is a militia army that has only a small number of combat units serving at any time in which the country is not at war or preparing for war. Conscription provides the manpower to maintain a large number of reserve units manned by a lot of men who are ill trained and of an age that makes them unsuitable for anything but population control in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The author of the is article is a well know Israeli leftist peace monger. I salute him. He points out the ever increasing unwillingness of the Gucci Generation of present Israeli youth to serve. They are voting with their feet in rejection of conscripted military service. Those who choose to serve now are increasingly from extreme right wing elements in Israel. They are people willing to shoot Palestinian civilian demonstrators at Gaza. This is not soldiers' work. This is the kind of work done by uniformed hoodlums indulging their hatred of tribal enemies.
Nothing that Pompaio and Halley can say will hide that. pl
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Defense_Forces
http://turcopolier.typepad.com/sic_semper_tyrannis/2014/07/the-idf-ground.html
