Israeli Military chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said on Thursday morning there is “no substitute” for the so-called “people’s army” model — one in which all Israelis are meant to serve — amid plans by the government to lower the age at which ultra-Orthodox men can gain permanent exemptions from drafting to the army.
“The people’s army model has proven beyond any doubt, for 75 years, that there is and must not be a substitute for it. This is the secret of the IDF’s strength, this is the secret of a nation’s strength,” Halevi said, as quoted by The Times of Israel, ahead of a march held to commemorate the establishment of the Zionist entity, 75 years ago, when Zionist gangs occupied Palestine and expelled tens of thousands of the land’s native people.
“Today we are marching together, serving in the standing army and in the reserves, from all parts of the IDF and from the whole spectrum of roles, from the various hues of the state and from the entire range of opinions and beliefs, to emphasize that together, our strength is greater,” he added, referring to the IOF (Israeli occupation forces).
The Israeli occupation military has indicated its opposition to plans discussed by the Zionist government earlier this week that would essentially give Haredim a blanket ban from army service, stating that “universal conscription by drafting Israelis from all parts of society is of utmost importance,” Israeli media reported.
The government’s latest tentative proposal, discussed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some coalition partners on Sunday, would lower the age of final exemption from the army from the current 26 to 23 or 21.
Source: Israeli media
