Does Israel exempt conscientious objectors from military service? I know that Ultra-Orthodox Jews studying at yeshivas are exempt. What about a Jew who converts to Christianity and decided to become a priest (does Israel even recognize conversion)? What happend to draft dodgers if they’re caught? Does Israel take any special measures to prevent people of military age from leaving the country (like holding their passports)?
As a rule, Israel doesn’t provide for conscientious objection for men, and only rarely for women. There’s a committee that will review claims of conscientious objection on a case by case basis, but it only rarely grants exceptions.
Here’s a review (and criticism) of Israel’s policies in that regard, from a British anti-war/peace organization.
He’d probably get an automatic exemtion due to mental disability.
Sent to jail for a few months and theb exemted from military service. The logic being, they’d probably be terrible soldiers anyway.
I seem to remember having to ask for approval to travel abroad six months or so before my draft date, but all you have to do is show a return ticket. Running abroad isn’t a realistic option - what, you’re never going to see your family and friends again?
The fact of the matter is, it’s fairly easy to get a mental or physical exemption. Most people who bother to find out can learn how to play the system. It’s not that the system minds too much, either - the IDF has too many bodies anyhow, and someone who really wants to get out is probably dead weight to begin with.
Besides, thw IDF makes a fairly clear distinction between combat and not combat troops, and virtually all combat troops are there because they want to be (and again, it’s fairly easy to get out of combat service). You have to be a pretty consiencious objector if you’re ready to go through nine circles of bureaucratic hell to get out of service on principle, if you know that all you’ll be doing for three years is push papers in a midtown Tel Aviv office