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From:          JUICE <juice@jazo.org.il>
To:            "Jewish University in Cyberspace Course" <isrsoc@shamash.org>
Subject:       JUICE Issues in Israeli Society #9

ISSUES IN ISRAELI SOCIETY
Jonathan Kaplan

# 9     THE ROLE OF THE MILITARY IN ISRAEL
The army (officially known as the Israel Defense Forces or IDF)
is a central institution in Israeli society. The majority of
Israelis serve in the military, and most men continue to serve
in the reserves until middle age. In addition to defending the
country against prolonged hostility and violence, the army
carries out important social and economic functions, and it
serves as a symbol of Israeli strength, efficiency and
effectiveness. What impact does the military have on Israeli
society? Has Israel become a militarized society due to the
army's central role?

WHO SERVES?
Aside from ultra-orthodox yeshiva students and a small group of
delinquents, all Jewish men are required to do 3 years of regular
army service. Religiously observant women are not compelled to
serve (although some modern religious women do), and married
women and mothers are also exempted. The roughly 50% of women who
do enter the regular army now serve approximately 20 months. Most
non-Jews are not required to serve in the army although Druze men
are conscripted in the same fashion as Jews. Nonetheless, some
Arab and Bedouin men do volunteer for army service.

REGULAR, PERMANENT AND RESERVE DUTY
After completing their regular service, some men and women decide
to make the army their career: these so-called "permanent"
soldiers usually fill higher command positions or jobs that
require special training and experience. Members of the permanent
army usually retire by their mid-forties, a fact which leads to
considerable mobility and dynamism throughout the military
hierarchy. The regular and permanent soldiers together form
Israel's standing army. However, to cope with the vastly larger
Arab armies, Israel had to rely on a system of reserve forces.
After their regular army service, men are taken for roughly a
month of reserve duty every year. During this time they leave
their families and their civilian jobs in order to carry out
military functions, which for some means front-line action. In
times of war, the reserves are called up for active duty. Thus,
Israeli Jewish men continue to serve in the Israeli Defense
Forces until their mid-forties or early fifties.

HISTORY:
The IDF was formed out of a number of armed groups which operated
before 1948. The Haganah (Defense), the semi-legal defense
organization of the Jewish Yishuv in Palestine, was established
in 1920 to defend Jewish settlements from Arab attacks. During
the Arab Revolt which began in 1936, differences of opinion
emerged within the Haganah regarding defense policy. While the
Haganah followed a policy of restraint and carried out only
defensive actions, those who called for retaliatory measures
broke off in 1937 to form the Irgun Zvai Leumi (National Military
Organization) or IZL. When the IZL decided to cooperate with
Britain after the outbreak of the Second World War, a small group
seceded and created the Lochamei Herut Israel (Freedom Fighters
for Israel) known as the Lechi. During the spring of 1941, the
Haganah formed the Palmach (Striking Companies), a mobile force
of full-time soldiers, in order to assist the British in
defending Palestine from Rommel's offensive which by this time
had reached the borders of Egypt. These various forces, which
continued to exist until 1948, maintained separate political
allegiances. The Haganah, formed by the Histadrut (the Jewish
Federation of Labor) and taken over by the Jewish Agency after
the Arab riots of 1929, enjoyed the widest support within the
Yishuv. The IZL had close connections with the non-socialist
Revisionists and most of the Palmach leadership was associated
with Achdut HaAvoda, the Labor Party's primary rival from the
left. The Lechi included individuals from across the political
spectrum who were united by their support of an unrelenting
struggle against the British administration in Palestine. On May
26, 1948, the Israeli Provisional Government issued Order No. 4
which established the Israel Defense Forces and explicitly
prohibited the maintenance of any other armed forces within the
territory of the state. During the following months, the IZL, the
Lechi and the Palmach were absorbed into the IDF, which became
a non-political, tightly controlled and centralized body.

SOCIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE ARMY:

The Israeli army is generally perceived as a "nation builder" -
a school for national identity and unity. Thus, in addition to
its primary role of defense, the army has taken on many other
social tasks. Through the "Nahal" (Hebrew acronym for Fighting
Pioneering Youth), the army established in outlying and border
areas, military settlements that combined farming with regional
defense. These settlements were usually founded and maintained
by Zionist youth groups that spent time in a more established
kibbutz before moving to the new outpost. After an initial
period, these outposts were turned over to civilian groups and
generally became kibbutzim or moshavim. Many of the Israeli
settlements in the Jordan Valley and the Arava were established
by the Nahal.

The "Gadna" (lit. Youth Brigades) played an important role in the
War of Independence, but afterward dealt primarily with the
preparation of Israeli youth for army life. In this capacity it
operated summer courses and camps as well as classes in Israeli
schools.

The IDF has also taken an active interest in the education of new
immigrants, especially in the teaching of the Hebrew language.
Army instructors were sent to centers of immigrant absorption,
Field Schools and other educational institutions. Special army
programs for teenagers from disadvantaged backgrounds combine
classroom instruction with work on an army base. It should be
emphasized that these programs are not designed for soldiers but
for marginal sections of Israeli society.

The education offered Israeli soldiers goes beyond the
professional training required for the effective execution of
military objectives. Much of the army education goes to people
who are of marginal military importance: immigrants and
disadvantaged Israelis. There are special Hebrew language courses
for new immigrants in the army. During their military service,
disadvantaged Israelis can acquire basic skills such as reading
comprehension and elementary mathematics. In addition, during
their regular service, soldiers participate in week-long
educational seminars which focus on Jewish history and the
history, geography, nature and society of the State of Israel.
The army has educational units located at Yad VaShem (main
Holocaust museum in Israel) and the Diaspora Museum.

A special program was established in the 1970s for yeshiva
students who wished to continue their religious studies while
serving in the army. Soldiers in the "Yeshivot HaHesder"
(Arrangement Yeshivot) combine yeshiva study with service in a
combat unit. In developing the program, the army was sensitive
to the needs of this particular group as well as to the benefits
of their participation in the IDF.

The army cuts across ethnic (edah), religious and socio-economic
boundaries. Israelis from all walks of life meet in the army, and
are forced to find a way to live together. Thus the army is a
major source of lasting friendships and contacts, many of which
are renewed periodically during reserve service. The military has
provided another important function: a considerable number of
Israelis have found marriage partners while in the army.

PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF MILITARY SERVICE:
Soldiers are given considerable responsibility: control of
powerful weapons and machinery, command over other individuals,
and challenging tasks that cannot be shirked. Most soldiers
report an increased ability to cope with difficulties and
hardships as a result of their army experience. They also feel
a "widening of horizons" due to the many different people and
situations encountered during their service. As these situations
may include danger, injury and even loss of life, the sense of
growth is sometimes accompanied by feelings of having lost one's
youth. Individuals usually come out of the army with a stronger
sense of independence, although this does not generally revolve
around sexual intimacy, revolt against the parents, career
selection and economic independence as it does in North America.
Strong familial ties are maintained during army service and
parents are expected to support their children while in the army
through visits, care packages, laundry and financial assistance.
Soldiers also develop an increased concern for wider social
issues and a broader understanding of moral, political and
ideological matters.

CIVILIAN INFLUENCES ON THE ARMY:
The Israeli army is very much a "people's army" and there are
many contacts between the IDF and wider society. Soldiers go home
regularly - most visit their families and friends at least once
a week in addition to longer furlough every three months. On
special occasions and especially in the early months of service,
parents usually visit their children on the army base. Regular
soldiers are given opportunities to call and write home and
soldiers in training or on active duty are encouraged to do so.
Reservists repeatedly make the transition between army and
civilian life. Permanent soldiers in advanced stages of their
military service generally cultivate contacts with the civilian
world outside in preparation for their second career. Outside
experts are brought in for educational seminars and some forms
of professional training.

Due to these contacts, there has been considerable civilian
influence on army life. No real "barracks sub-culture" has
developed in the country. Aside from basic training and certain
courses, the atmosphere in the IDF is generally informal. Only
the highest officers are referred to as "commander" and everyone
else is literally on a first name basis, as in other sectors of
Israeli society. Most orders are given as directions, and
disagreement and discussion of such directions are not uncommon.
Soldiers in command are expected to be able to explain their
orders. Once given however, orders are followed. Army dress is
functional and simple: there are few insignia, battle decorations
or medals. Within certain boundaries, the soldiers' appearance
(dress, hairstyle, footware) is affected by broader trends in
Israeli fashion. Military ceremonies and rituals are minimal. In
recent years, parents have become increasingly active in
intervening on behalf of their children with military
authorities.

MILITARY INFLUENCES ON SOCIETY:
The national security effort in Israel in the early 1980s
constituted between a quarter and a third of Israel's GNP, about
half of the government's budget, and a fourth of the labor force.
In addition to direct defense outlays, the period of compulsory
service means delaying one's entry into the labor market or
postponing the acquisition of higher education. Reserve duty can
also hinder professional advancement and business profitability.

Reservists continue to be subject to military jurisdiction even
when not on active duty. In mobilization exercises, reservists
must drop what they are doing and report to their base or meeting
point, irrespective of the resulting personal, professional or
economic inconvenience. Until recently, men eligible for reserve
duty required an army permit in order to go abroad.

Israelis who serve in the army may be exposed to physical danger.
However, those who have served in the army also gain certain
benefits: some jobs are open only to veterans and certain welfare
benefits are available only to veterans and their families. Army
service also provides a degree of prestige: some use their rank
or position to enhance their professional and personal status.

The military has tremendous influence on defense and foreign
policy in Israel. High officers often present information and
advice to the Israeli government, and military recommendations
have been central in many important government decisions. The
Intelligence Branch of the IDF alone provides the overall
national intelligence estimate. Over the years, much of the
contact between Israel and Arab states has been handled by
high-ranking members of the military. Through the Military
Government, the IDF actually governed the predominantly Arab
areas of Israel between 1948 and 1966 and, from 1967, the various
territories taken during the Six Day War. A considerable number
of ex-generals (Yigal Allon, Moshe Dayan, Yitzhak Rabin, Ezer
Weizmann, Yigal Yadin, Haim Bar-Lev, Arik Sharon, Ehud Barak)
have gone on to become cabinet ministers, and others lead smaller
political parties. Retired Generals have also headed a large
number of state-owned corporations and agencies. The military and
political elites are linked socially, giving high officers direct
access to political leaders.

The military has several forms of communication at its disposal.
It operates its own radio station, staffed by well known Israeli
broadcasters as well as soldiers in regular service. Unlike army
stations in many other countries, Israel's "Galei Zahal" (IDF
Waves) has a large civilian audience. The IDF publishes a popular
weekly as well as a more in-depth monthly magazine. The army
controls press censorship through the office of the Military
Censor, and the IDF Spokesman's office provides information on
army and security related issues.

A SUMMING UP:
The army undoubtedly wields considerable influence in Israeli
society. In matters of security and foreign affairs, military
involvement has been seen as essential and legitimate. Following
the Yom Kippur War of 1973, there was a considerable increase in
the economic role of the defense establishment with the growth
of Israel's military-industrial complex which includes the IDF,
government defense industries and public as well as private firms
that produce defense-related equipment. Such role expansion gave
the military added influence on a number of levels. However, this
trend has been reversed in recent years due to the end of the
cold war and the acceleration of the peace process in the Middle
East. Budget constraints and increased controversy in Israel over
certain security issues have also caused a reduction of military
influence in society. A more active press and increased exposure
to foreign mass media have led to a loosening of censorship
restriction. Moreover, social policy and domestic politics have
always been clearly off limits as far as the army is concerned.
In its various activities, the army is careful not to advocate
a particular social or political view. Top officers have joined
all of the various Zionist parties and the extra-parliamentary
groups. Even before the state was established, the military
followed the directives of the political leadership, and the
principle of military subordination to civilian control has been
internalized by the military elite. Israel has not become a
"garrison state" ruled by the military, in spite of the fact that
the country has had to contend with prolonged conflict and war.
Although it exercises considerable influence within the country,
the Israeli army is part and parcel of Israeli society. It
continues to be perceived and to perceive itself first and
foremost as the army of the people.

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