Last weekend we went to a pool party up
north in Tivon, we had been invited by an Israeli, Nir, whom Julia had met
while she was teaching English in Ecuador. Nir has been incredible to us ever
since we've met him, he's always helping us with everything, making sure we
have the best time possible, and learning as much as we can about his
homeland.
Anyway, Nir invited us up, and since we
were already in the area because of a class trip we had to take him up on the
offer. It was one of the few chances we've had in Israel to interact with
people our age. That's been one of the weirdest parts about this entire trip,
almost everyone our age is serving in the IDF, or is abroad because they just
finished their military service and so are getting out of this country and
going as far away as they possibly can for a short escape. I know I would want
to do the same in their position (and that’s when Nir and Julia met, so I would
say it worked out pretty well).
The
pool party was a blast, as pool parties always are, it was really interesting
to see the differences between how an American party like that would have gone
versus how the Israeli party went. There were a lot of similarities, but also
some random cultural differences.
What I really wanted to talk to them
about though, was their opions on being conscripted into the IDF, on being
forced to serve in a civilian army to defend their country. Before I came to
Israel and talked to civilians whom had been conscripted, I had a very
favorable view of this concept of a mandatory national service. It has a ton of
benefits: it gives you a connection to your country, it shows you what it is to
serve a higher ideal of some sort, it teaches you what it means to sacrifice,
and it shows you how much more you can do than you think you can. I wasn’t
envisioning a purely military national service, but something that has options
like Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Teach for America, whatever. Of course, it would
never be implemented in the States, it’s far too much governmental control for
our right-wing friends and it would be expensive beyond belief. I still thought
of it as a very nice ideal, even if impractical.
That’s changed since I’ve gotten here
and talked with current soldiers and, especially, the friends we made at the
pool party. They have plenty of good things to say about their service, it
taught them discipline, it taught them to be organized, and it showed them what
a true war would mean to the populace. But, bottom line, it sucked. You lose
prime years of your life. Men serve approximately from 18-21, and women from
18-20. They kept coming back to how you’re supposed to spend those years at
school, partying, and learning how to be an adult. Instead, right out of high
school you’re thrown into basic training and before you know it you’re manning
a checkpoint at a border crossing and your decisions could have significant
impact on the security of your entire country, your family, your friends,
everyone. This isn’t the kind of pressure 18 year olds should be under. They should
be stressing out about finals and girls, not whether or not someone is friend
or foe.
Of course, militaries will always be
made up of young adults, that’s just how it works, but choice is crucial in
this matter. There is a difference between someone who has volunteered into the
military, and someone who is conscripted in.
I suppose I should qualify a little bit.
I do believe the Israeli conscription is the right thing for Israel to do, and
necessary for its survival. They wouldn’t have won the Six Days War or the Yom
Kippur War without their reserves. Everyone I’ve talked to has been proud of
their service. They’ve all agreed, however, that it takes a massive toll on all
of them, and a future where it isn’t necessary is definitely the preferred
path. Bottom line, war sucks.
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