Jun 21, 2025
Henry Glintenkamp (1887–1946), “Conscription”, 1917
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Henry Glintenkamp (1887–1946), “Conscription”, 1917
source
Hello!
I recently saw your post on legal rights in Israel for people of different ethnicities and I wanted to ask (from a place of ignorance):
Do Arab Israelis have the same opportunities and/or obligations as others for military service in Israel? I know that the exemption of (some?) Orthodox citizens from mandatory military service is a live issue in Israeli politics but not much else.
Thank you!
Arab Israeli citizens have identical opportunities to serve in the military, but have dramatically fewer obligations than Jewish Israeli citizens. Let's address each of those separately.
Opportunities:
Arab Israelis have the full right to volunteer for military service if they wish. Those who do serve receive the same training, ranks, and benefits as any other soldier. They can also volunteer for national-civil service (Sherut Leumi).
You might have heard of Arab Israeli Yoseph Haddad. Haddad was born in Haifa, lived in Nazareth, volunteered to serve in the IDF, served in the Golani Brigade (infantry), including as a platoon commander and sergeant...where those he commanded were mostly Jews. He has repeatedly said that he was very well respected in the IDF, and those who served with him have said the same. His military career ended in 2006 with shrapnel injuries. He now spends most of his time advocating for Israel and against Jew hatred.
Obligations:
Jewish Israeli citizens (men and women) are subject to mandatory military service - currently around 32 months for men and 24 months for women. This is a significant obligation that affects education timing, career development, and family planning.
Arab Israelis, by contrast, are exempt from mandatory military service. This exemption was established to avoid forcibly putting Arab citizens in the position of potentially fighting against fellow Arabs in neighboring countries.
However, Druze and Circassian citizens, who are distinct ethnic/religious minorities, do have mandatory service, similar to Jewish Israelis.
It's important to mention that this was not forced upon the Druze or Circassian communities.
In 1956, Druze community leaders formally requested that their community be subject to mandatory conscription, similar to Jewish Israelis. This was seen as a way to demonstrate loyalty and integration into Israeli society, and to gain equal standing as full citizens. The Israeli government agreed, and Druze conscription became mandatory that year. They are very well-represented in the IDF. There are Druze IDF generals and Druze Israelis seem disproportionately well-represented in elite units.
In 1958, Circassian community leaders petitioned to be included in mandatory conscription. Like the Druze, this was seen as affirming their commitment to the state and securing their status as equal citizens.
Arab Israelis have greater freedom of choice (serve or don't serve) compared to Jewish, Druze, and Circassian Israelis who have mandatory conscription. This is the opposite of discrimination, it's a reduced burden.
The Haredim (ultra-orthodox) exemption you mentioned is very contentious, but that's a separate issue involving religious study deferments, not ethnic-based policy. Originally, haredi men who were studying full-time in yeshivas (religious seminaries) got automatic deferments that became de facto exemptions - and this was only a few hundred people. The practice now exempts tens of thousands. The Israeli Supreme Court has ruled these exemptions illegal for violating equality principles and lacking any specific legislation. These exemptions are important to Haredi political parties, and play into coalition politics...and are important to Netanyahu's coalition.
The question of exemptions for Haredim is a domestic Israeli political issue which I try to resist commenting on further, especially when there are Israelis who will (please) offer their opinions in the replies and reblogs (at the same time they let me know if I got anything wrong here).
How close are you to your country's military service?
I'm actively in the military right now
I'm signed up or plan to but haven't gone yet
I served and got out already
I served and got kicked out already
at least one of my immediate family members is in active service
at least one of my immediate family members served in the past
at least one of my extended family members is in active service
at least one of my extended family members served and got out
at least one of my friends is in active service
at least one of my friends served and got out
I haven't and wouldn't enlist unless I was required by law
I haven't and wouldn't enlist even if required by law
no I actually can't. the ppl who are going day and night "it's about the community" "mutual aid" "we need to support each other" loosing their shit when the community is like "you will do 2 weeks of paid PE in ugly clothes so we won't all die instantly if there's a war". what do you think real mutual aid is jeffley? free crochet patterns?
Right??? God these ppl dont know the first thing abt selflessness and ACTUAL community. I saw a post saying how some loser doesnt want to do army time because "my friend told me everyone u meet is so stupid and some ppl act like psychos" yeah goodmorning Becky ur gonna meet a lot of different ppl u never met b4 and a lot of them r gonna be from cultural and family backgrounds u never encountered b4, and if u can't find a way to get along with them or have a conversation with them then ur not as tolerant and InclusiveTM as u pretended to be! Lmao
The concerns around the draft raise a deeper constitutional question that has been too long neglected.
From the April 15, 2026 essay:
Is the draft itself constitutional? Under Supreme Court precedent, the answer is yes. At the same time, the Roberts court has given significantly less weight to precedent than previous courts. ... The justices have repeatedly asked whether a contested practice is consistent with the nation’s historical understanding at the time of the founding. Approached genuinely, that framework poses a serious problem for conscription. ... There was no national draft at the founding. The generation that wrote and ratified the Constitution had direct experience with compulsory service, but it looked nothing like modern conscription. Colonial and early American governments required participation in local militias, which were designed primarily for community defense rather than sustained military campaigns. ... When Secretary of War James Monroe proposed a system of national conscription during the War of 1812, the backlash was immediate and fierce. Critics argued that the federal government lacked the authority to compel individuals into national military service. ...
After the Civil War, a new constitutional objection emerged. The 13th Amendment abolished involuntary servitude except as punishment for a crime. Critics of conscription argued that forcing individuals into military service under threat of imprisonment was a clear example of involuntary servitude. However, it would be half a century before the Supreme Court squarely addressed the issue during World War I. In the Selective Draft Law Cases, the court upheld the draft in a sweeping and, frankly, unpersuasive opinion. ... The Roberts court has said that it is willing—indeed eager—to revisit long-standing precedents that it views as inconsistent with the Constitution’s original meaning. When it comes to denying Donald Trump what he wants, it is generally a losing bet to count on a Supreme Court that more often than not bends over backward to give him a pass. But if its commitment to history and tradition is even remotely genuine, conscription should be on the table.
Conscription in Europe
My grandma called marriage “conscription” and that tells you everything about the culture she grew up in.
The experience of I am pragmatic enough to not be an absolute pacifist but also just passing by a statue of a soldier makes me physically sick because it's such a cruel thing to give someone a gun, force them to die and kill, and then build a statue to present them as a brave hero instead of the victim they were. The experience of I understand why countries have borders and armies and it is not because humans are evil by nature but also fuck exactly because I don't believe we are evil by nature the thought that people are forced to kill other people deeply unsettles me. The whole ''veterans are heroes'' ''no, veterans are evil war criminals'' makes me sick because no, veterans are victims and the world made them participate in something terrible for themselves and others but also I get why we glorify veterans, it is necessary for morale it is just disgusting to me personally and also I get why some people shame and call them awful, the murder happened. And idk none of this makes sense btw this is not an argument it is just a rant. Militaristic culture is so fascinating and interesting but also so seriously depressing and disturbing to me.