A People’s Army
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INTRODUCTION
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), tzahal (צה’’ל), is a pillar of Israeli society, with mandatory service often being portrayed as one of the most unifying, sacred, and controversial responsibilities incumbent upon Israeli citizens. While many Israelis view the IDF as the glue that unites the country, others—particularly those who have traditionally been exempt, including Arab citizens of Israel and Haredim—view it as a symbol of what troubles them about the country and its ethos.
“A People’s Army” explores the place of the IDF in Israeli culture, politics, and society. This resource collection engages with fundamental questions concerning how and why the IDF has been called a people’s army—and how, why, and for whom it is not.
Since 1948, Israelis of military age (beginning at 18 and varying in length of service) have been conscripted into the IDF. Sabras (Israelis born in Israel) and immigrants, secular and religious, Ashkenazi and Mizrahi, rich and poor, all join together to serve and defend their country. The IDF has often been referred to as a microcosm of the Israeli melting pot. No matter who you are, when you are in uniform, you are united by a single cause.
For this reason, according to the Israel Democracy Institute, the IDF is consistently one of the most trusted state institutions—if not the most trusted. Perhaps unsurprisingly, many of Israel’s political leaders have been former military generals. At the same time, significant portions of the Israeli population do not serve in the IDF, most controversially the Haredim. Exemption from military service for Haredim has brought with it consequences, both for Haredim and Israeli society as a whole.
This resource collection explores many of the sometimes contradictory perceptions of the IDF held by diverse groups in Israel, the role of the IDF in creating (or preventing) social belonging, as well as the relationship between the IDF and Israeli politics.
We encourage you to use this resource collection as befits your learners and setting. You can use the whole collection (all FAQs and Questions Being Asked), individual topics, or individual activities. Feel free to adapt, replace, or add to the resources to help them meet your needs.
The following two activities will introduce learners to the themes and questions with which they will engage throughout the entire resource collection.
MILITARY SERVICE
Note to educator: This introductory discussion surfaces fundamental questions concerning the significance of military service in general and the specific role of the IDF in Israeli society.
Begin by posing the following questions:
- When someone says military service, what comes to mind for you?
- What are some reasons someone might choose to serve in the military? What are some reasons someone might choose not to serve in the military?
- What have you heard about military service in Israel? (Encourage people to share personal responses to all of these introductory questions if they are comfortable doing so. This might include: friends or family members who have served, personal thoughts and feelings about military service, etc.)
Note to educator: Once learners have had the opportunity to respond, and if no one has mentioned that Israel has a mandatory conscription policy, explain that all Jewish Israelis (and some non-Jews) at the age of 18 are supposed to be drafted into the IDF. You can note that there are exceptions, particularly for the Haredi community, but don’t need to dive into details just yet.
MANDATORY SERVICE
Note to educator: This activity introduces learners to the role and symbolism of the IDF for many Israelis. The goal is to guide learners in beginning to consider the social significance of the IDF, beyond its fundamental role of defending the country.
Ask learners:
- What do you imagine are some of the effects of mandatory service on Israeli society?
Share the following core tenets of mandatory service in Israel:
- 18 year-old men and women are drafted into the army for 2-3 years.
- Sherut Leumi (national civil service) is a non-military alternative that satisfies mandatory service requirements. It is popular in certain religious circles.
Next, ask learners:
To read the following poem, “We are the soldiers of Fall 2023,” in small groups and reflect briefly on what they think is its message:
Yes, we are the soldiers of Fall 2023
Our muscles taut with shock
Our efforts to suppress pain and stay stoic etched on our faces
You conceived us as children of peace after the Yom Kippur war,
The Six Day War, Operation Cast Lead.
But the cries from Be’eri to Re’im 1 rent the peace that was never there
We are not its children
Although we wished so much to be.
Don’t look at us, as you might reveal the guilt
We stand proud and steadfast
Fighters filled with dedication and love (and fear)
If we stop we will feel the loss that has no place at all now.
We are the soldiers of the 2023 war
Your children
Perhaps asking for forgiveness
Falling in battle for our nation.
After reading the poem:
Briefly reflect on it and return to the full group to consider the following questions:
- What is the significance of the use of the term “children” in each of the three lines it is used? Who are the children? Whose children are they?
Note to educator: Encourage learners to consider how “children” is used to reflect the generational character of Israeli military service (each generation serves), the unfortunate nature of needing continual military service (as opposed to living in peace), and the sense that, inevitably, Israelis’ children are soldiers.
- The poet is a soldier serving in the IDF. How do you understand the intersection of these identities?
- What do you think it means for the poet’s parents that she is a soldier?
- Now that we’ve read this poem and considered the meaning of service for generations of Israelis—children and parents—how do you think Israeli society relates to the notion of mandatory military service?
Note to educator: This question is designed to encourage learners to consider how mandatory military service impacts every generation in Israeli society—the children who will serve or who are serving, the parents who have served (and may still be serving in the reserves) and will have children serve, the grandparents who served and are seeing the third generation of their family serving, etc.
OPTIONAL: WINTER '73 AND WINTER '23
Note to educator: As an alternative or addition to the previous activity, this option uses two songs—“Choref 73” (חורף 73) and “Choref 23” (חורף 23)—to compare Israeli society’s relationship with the IDF across time.
Caution: “Choref 23” uses intense language and imagery related to October 7.
Introduce the video for “Choref 73” by explaining that it is a song originally performed by the IDF Education Corps Band. The song is a poignant tribute to the Yom Kippur War, which took place in October 1973. The lyrics reflect the deep emotions and lasting impact of the war on those who lived through it, focusing specifically on the perspective of the children born in the winter of ‘73, after the war. The song was written in 1994, around the time of the Oslo Accords, and juxtaposes themes like the toll of war with the hope for peace.
Now, introduce the video for “Choref 23” by explaining that the song was released on October 22, 2023, two weeks after the October 7 massacres. It describes how many Israelis felt during the attack and still feel today. As it explores events that occurred almost 50 years to the day after the Yom Kippur War, the song is written in direct conversation with the legacy of 1973.
Ask learners:
- What themes are shared by the two songs? Where do they diverge?
- How would you describe the emotional state of the soldiers in each song?
- What are their feelings toward the IDF and Israel?
- In “Choref 23,” the singers are reaching out for support from their fathers, who presumably lived through 1973. With this in mind:
- How might their shared experience of service unite them?
- How might their particular experiences of service set them apart?
SUB-TOPICS INCLUDE:
HAREDIM
The Problem With Mandatory Service
Haredim, also known as ultra-Orthodox Jews, represent 13% of the Israeli population, yet most of them do not serve in the IDF. What is the history behind their exemption from service, and what lies behind the debate over their exemption?
ARMY AND POLITICIANS
The Pipeline From the Military to Politics
IDF chiefs of staff and army generals have entered Israeli politics at an unusually high rate. By exploring the lives of Yitzhak Rabin and Ariel Sharon, this resource delves into the uniquely Israeli trend military commanders becoming leading politicians.
WOMEN IN THE IDF
A History of Controversy and Service
Women’s roles in the IDF and their integration therein have expanded since 1948, often in the wake of national crises or campaigns launched by women. This resource examines how, in the realm of gender, Israeli society has influenced the IDF and vice versa.
1 Be’eri and Re’im are two of the Israel communities that were attacked by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
2 Dor serves in 8200 IDF Cyber Corps. She was in Kibbutz Re’im when it was attacked on October 7, 2023.
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