Israel's draft reform debate and the 'people's army'.
JERUSALEM — Israelis take pride in calling their military the "people's army," a unifying institution that helps smooth over religious differences and instills nationalist values.
But despite a long tradition of mandatory conscription, today only about half of all Israelis serve, largely because Arabs and the ultra-Orthodox Jews are exempt.
On Wednesday, government talks aimed at broadening the draft broke down amid staunch opposition from ultra-Orthodox groups. The negotiations follow an Israeli Supreme Court ruling that the exemption for ultra-Orthodox was unfair.
In an interview with The Times, sociologist and Open University of Israel associate professor Yagil Levy said the government should move cautiously on the draft, a reform effort that could upset the delicate balance between Israel's secular and religious communities. Levy, an expert on the intersection of army and society, said at stake is the future of the Israel Defense Forces, the nation's military.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-israel-draft-qa-20120712,0,7578108.story
