80 percent of Israeli recruits refuse military service

ALQUDS, Nov. 12 (YPA) – About 80 percent of the Israeli occupation’s reserve soldiers have deserted and are dissatisfied with military service.

A poll, made by the Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post, showed that 64 percent of reserve soldiers and their immediate family members said that military service in the army represents a heavy burden on them, while 58 percent said that exempting extremist “Haredi” Jews harms their motivation to serve.

“41 of respondents said the difficulty was due to personal and family reasons, while 21 percent said it was a psychological difficulty,” the newspaper added. “About 80 percent said they believed that the law exempting the Haredi Jews from conscription would harm the motivation to serve in the Zionist enemy forces, and 66 percent supported increasing pressure and sanctions in order to increase conscription among the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community.”

The poll showed also that “of the 50 percent in the alliance who are reservists or first-degree family members, 50 percent supported imposing economic sanctions or punishing those who do not serve.”

AA