Not too long from now I will be a woman in uniform!
It’s incredible how much my life has changed in the last year. One year ago I had a car, a full-time job and snow boots. Today I have a bus pass, a babysitting gig and hiking boots.
I feel freer than ever and more in touch with what I want out of life. For the time being what I want is this:
I have decided to devote the next (approximately) two years of my life to service in the Israeli army. This is not a decision I arrived to overnight. I’ve been thinking about committing myself to Israeli military service for the past year and now that I’m an Israeli citizen I’ve decided to turn thought into action.
Before I go into my reasons for volunteering myself to serve I’ll give you the basics on military service requirements in Israel.
All citizens of Israel, with the exception of Arab Israelis but not excluding Druze Israelis, are required to serve in the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). Men are required to serve for three years and women for two. **Women can however opt of of military service and instead volunteer in a branch of national service.
The rules change a bit for immigrants (and for religious Jews, but I won’t get into that).
Men who arrive to Israel and immigrate after the age of 26 are not required to serve in the IDF. The same goes for women over the age of 21.
I am 24. When I arrived to Israel I was 23 - this means that I am not at all required to serve. But I want to; I feel compelled.
There are a lot of people who are not going to agree with what I am about to say, or they will feel some sort of internal dissonance because they do agree but have decided not to act upon whatever feelings arise within them to serve. In any case, I will share with you my reasons for deciding to enlist…
It’s ridiculous that young immigrants in this country receive so much support from the government even when, in most cases, they do not serve in this country’s military, when had they been born here, they would have been required. During the first six months of citizenship in Israel new immigrants who are single receive about $650 each month - and that is from a government whose country is constantly fighting in wars of defense. On top of this direct monetary support new immigrants are also entitled to discounts on import taxes, rental tax and free health insurance for one year. And if that’s not enough, they also receive five free months of modern Hebrew class free from the government.
Is it really fair for immigrants who don’t serve in the IDF to receive these benefits?
On the one hand, it’s not - in the history of this country thousands of Israeli soldiers have died who served not because they volunteered to, but because it was the status quo; they had to.
But on the other hand, the government doesn’t require military service of new immigrants beyond the already stated ages. This leads me to the question, if all citizens are required to serve, why aren’t all new citizens also required, regardless of age? I almost want to call it discrimination on the basis of age, but I’m afraid discrimination isn’t quite the right word.
Israel would not be able to exist without its military. It is my opinion that the State of Israel needs to exist; I point now to the slaughter of six million European Jews just 70 years ago. I can’t help but think that if the Jewish nation would have had an army, it would have been able to defend itself. By no means do I assert that Israel has done everything correct in regards to the people that have become refugees as a result of the State’s creation, but I do think it’s possible to still stand by the country and its military as a whole without taking a particular position in the matter.
All of these feelings aside… what’s in it for me, other than a uniform and gun?
I am happy in Israel. For the time being I want to live here. The best way for me to acclimate into Israeli society and to immerse myself in the Hebrew language is to join the army. However army service will not only be a Hebrew-learning tool, it will also provide me with a sense of self-fulfillment that cannot be found elsewhere.
I can’t feel right living here if I feel like a freeloader. I feel as though it is my duty to serve. If there had been required military service in the US I would have done it there - there wouldn’t have been a choice. Here in Israel, I feel as though it shouldn’t be a choice and for myself, I have decided it’s not a choice. I am committing myself.
My official Israeli Army process has already begun. On July 7 I went to the Israeli Army’s draft office in Haifa to have my Tsav Rishon (first call up).
From this day I am supposed to receive three different scores: one is IQ related (Psychotechni), one corresponds to level of education and psychologic standing (Kaba), and the last is a physical assessment score (Profile). Based on my composite score I will be able to classify for various different units in the army. So far I have only received the first two scores; a 90/90 and a 56/56, respectively. Hopefully I will receive the physical score soon. It seems like there will be a lot of possibilities available, I just hope the language barrier won’t be a problem. An officer at the Tsav Rishon administered a Hebrew test to me but it wasn’t clear whether I passed or if I would be required to enroll in the army’s three-month Hebrew class. We shall see…
I will probably have more information to share about my draft date within the next week or two. And for those who are wondering… my current preference is to serve in the Search and Rescue unit. However, truth be told, I am not really that knowledgeable of the IDF and all of its units, so it is possible that my preference will waiver.
That’s all for now! Now that you’re all in on my big secret, I’ll keep you updated :)
