• Linkerbaan@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    You can refuse it like some israeli 18 year olds did.

    Conscription is irrelevant as they were active soldiers on a military base. They were not reservists.

    “I was just following order” is some shit from 1945 nobody cares.

    • NeatNit
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      9 months ago

      As for refusing - it’s a fucking explosive topic. Some populations do it more than others. Some populations - Haredim - just don’t serve as a rule, not because of any good argument but because ThEy HavE To sTuDy ThE BIbLe!!! (it’s one of the topics that put us on the verge of civil war last year)

      For non-insane people though, refusing military service is akin to refusing to pay taxes. It works sometimes, but good fucking luck, and most people don’t do it.

    • NeatNit
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      9 months ago

      “they were not reservists” - exactly. Let me clarify this point.

      You are forced by law to serve in the military as an active soldier at age 18. Virtually Israeli soldiers ranked Corporal, Sergeant and Staff Sergeant are in this mandatory serving period. This is active duty, not reserve duty, and the “active soldier” you mentioned is very likely to be this (I don’t know how to verify this).

      You generally have to follow orders and you don’t get to decide what role you’ll be doing (although there are ways to affect it, I won’t get into it).

      There are some who then stay longer, become officers, have a military career, whatever. I’m not discussing those as this bit is similar to voluntary military service in most countries.

      The majority of people who finish the mandatory active duty are then released from the army, but depending on their role they remain reservists - they go live the civilian life, and every once in a while they must basically serve for a few days to both pitch in and keep up their own readiness. I’m not familiar with the details of how this works because, lucky me, I was released without reserve duty as my role didn’t have much value for reserve.

      And of course, at times of war, mass reservist connections ensue. But active duty from age 18 is still active duty, not reserve.

      Hope that clarifies it.

      • Linkerbaan@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        I know all of this of course, but then you either take the jail or demand asylum from israel.

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWa2Uc97-ns

        The Nazi’s also had conscription surely you don’t think every German went out of free will. Which brings us once again to

        “I was just following order” is some shit from 1945 nobody cares.

        • NeatNit
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          9 months ago

          If you knew all this why did you say this?

          Conscription is irrelevant as they were active soldiers on a military base. They were not reservists.

          It is literally conscription.

          • Linkerbaan@lemmy.world
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            9 months ago

            OK so Ukrainians can’t kill Russian conscripts?

            Israelis somehow need the most protected status in the world while literally being in the army lol.

            • NeatNit
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              9 months ago

              I never said anything other than your first statement being wrong - that they chose to be there. That’s it. I didn’t - and won’t - say anything about what’s okay or not.

    • Fimbulwinter@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      You do get some jail time if you simply refuse to serve though. Unless you have strong psychological or physical reasons that prevent you from serving. Men and women both need to serve, the Israeli (and worldwide Jewish) population is very small relatively.