Israeli army desperate; foreign recruits sought

The Israeli army, already fatigued and frustrated after defeats in two consecutive wars in 2006 in Lebanon and 2008 in Gaza, has now launched a desperate search for non Israeli Zionists, especially from among the American population.

A first batch of such recruits recently arrived in Israel in a tourist style manner, likely without knowledge about the sort of risks ahead which have otherwise pushed their peers to go abroad for pleasure.

At present, a little over half of all Israelis are conscripted into the army for a mandatory three years straight after school, while some non-Jews from the local Bedouin and Druze communities serve as well.

Nonetheless, the army in recent years has faced a crisis from inside as many Israelis try to find some way to escape the boot. Many resort to religious or medical grounds to obtain an exemption, while others simply refuse to serve for conscientious reasons, albeit facing punishments afterwards.