from RT
Over the years, the number of people who have exempted themselves from service in the Israeli military, or Israel Defense Forces (IDF), has gone up. In 2021 it reached more than 31%. Reports suggest that by 2050 more than 50% of Israeli youth will evade conscription. Roughly 10% of those will do so due to ideology and their reluctance to support Israeli policy and actions.
Israel’s war on Hamas, which was declared shortly after the group’s deadly attacks on communities in the southern part of the country in October last year, has seen a surge in the number of volunteers for the military.
Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews, who are typically exempt from serving, have enrolled in the army. Hundreds of Jewish young people from around the world have come to Israel to join the IDF, and the country has registered a total of 300,000 reservists determined to protect their nation.
But Tomer Avrahami, a 25-year old anti-Zionist activist from Haifa, northern Israel – which he considers to be Palestine – was not caught up in the frenzy to join the military. As someone who wasn’t drafted for compulsory service due to his anti-IDF stance, he couldn’t bear the thought of taking part in what has become the deadliest assault on Gaza to date.
Tomer says the events of October 7 only strengthened his beliefs
and provided him yet another painful reminder that Israel and Palestine
will not see peace until the area, in his view, is de-colonized...
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