Does Serving in the IDF Define an Israeli?

Israeli Law requires that females aged 18-20 and males aged 18-21 serve in the Israeli Defense Forces. Their system is very different from the volunteer military we have in the United States. Everyone in the country is closely tied to and involved in the military in some way. Of course there are exceptions - Ultra Orthodox men and women are not required to serve if they meet certain exemption criteria. The men can defer service while participating in Talmudic Studies at Yeshiva, or take part in the Hesder Program which includes 2 years of religious studies, 1.5 years of military service, and another 1.5 years of religious studies in which they can be recalled to

active duty, if needed. Ultra Orthodox women are not required to serve, but often serve the country with national service, or Sherut Leumi in Hebrew. Muslims and Christians can volunteer or they can serve in the Israel Security Forces instead of traditional IDF service, but they are not required to serve. There are many non-Jewish members of the IDF as well. Druze men are required to serve and Bedouins and other Arab communities can volunteer to serve. There are certain groups of Druze in the Golan Heights that do not serve because they are anti-Israel and are loyal to Syria. I learned in my research that Israel is the only nation to conscript women, which I found very interesting and surprising that it is the only one.

Above: my cousin, Ron who is currently serving in the IDF.
Below: my friends Najeeb - a Druze IDF soldier, and Ehud with their officer, Gal, at an outpost on the Lebanon border.

 My reason for writing this post is not to praise the IDF or discuss any of its actions. I had an interesting experience while in Tel Aviv last spring when a cashier at SuperPharm, the Israeli equivalent to CVS, asked me if I was Israeli. I responded, "Half." He asked me if I had served in the army and I explained that I had not because I am a university student back home in the States. His reply, blunt and honest (in true Israeli form), was "Then you are only a quarter Israeli." This statement hit me rather hard.. was I considered less of an Israeli because I did not serve the country? At first, I was in a bit of shock and did not know how to properly respond, so I didn't. And then I thought that this could actually be true public opinion. However, since I am not a resident, or even a citizen of Israel I am not required to serve. I decided not to take this comment to heart because in public Israeli view I am not required to serve, thus should not feel guilty about not serving. Although, it is true that people are almost looked down upon, both socially and legally, for not serving in the army. 

The IDF is one of the largest commonalities among Israelis. It is almost a conversation starter: "What unit were you in," "Where did you serve," etc. It is the equivalent to Americans asking "Where did you get your bachelors degree from?" Service in the IDF is a huge bond that Israelis share. So many times an Israeli friend would introduce me to someone as "a friend from the army" which is equal to "my college roommate" in the U.S. This bond, for better or worse, is blatantly evident to any outsider. Not serving, while allowed for some groups, is looked down upon in Israeli society, whether right or wrong it is the truth. Not serving your country makes others wonder why they are fighting to defend it while others do nothing. Alternative service routes are viewed as the same as serving. Volunteers in the IDF are praised for defending Israel when not required to do so.

Essentially, I do think that serving in the IDF is a huge component of being Israel, but is not synonymous with being Israeli. While I would love to have served in the IDF, unfortunately at the age of 22 I am considered "too old" to serve. However, serving the country is important to me and I will do so in other ways than through military service. My father served in the Israeli Air Force for over 10 years, so I believe that he served enough time for the both of us! :)