Statistic show 25% of Israelis aren't drafted; "Decline won't become a trend."
By JPOST.COM STAFFjp.services1(photo credit: )
A year after the Second Lebanon, the motivation of Israelis ready to join the army has fallen in such a way that a quarter of the eligible draftees do not enlist in military service, the IDF's Human Resources Department announced on Tuesday, ahead of the August draft.
According to Army Radio, 11 percent of those 18-year-olds who are not drafted do not enlist due to so-called religious reasons - one percent more than in 2006. Other reasons cited for not enlisting include physical and mental heath-based exemptions.
The most popular infantry brigade remains Golani - two youths compete for every available spot in the unit prior to drafting. The Nahal Brigade is the second most-asked-for unit in the army, followed by the Kfir and Givati brigades, with a slight decline in their demand.
Although the army said that the recent war may have damaged the motivation of soldiers, the decline wasn't necessarily a trend. "We estimate that the war hurt the drive of troops, and therefore statistics are returning to what they were like in the past," said the head of the army's induction center, Col. Amir Rogobeski.
The recent decline in motivation to enlist did not influence the desire of youths to be recruited to serve in combat units, but if trends continue, they could very well be affected, added Rogobeski. "The IDF may have to take this into consideration as well," he said.
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