Transnational Thursday is a thread for people to discuss international news, foreign policy or international relations history. Feel free as well to drop in with coverage of countries you’re interested in, talk about ongoing dynamics like the wars in Israel or Ukraine, or even just whatever you’re reading.
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Notes -
Yes, there are. Depending on how bad the person wants out, there are several ways one can avoid being conscripted (or get out if you're already in), though it usually costs certain opportunities and carries certain stigma. Just as in the US it was possible to dodge the draft at certain costs, it is in Israel too, though not too many people do it. The army does not make it easy, but it definitely makes it possible, and sometimes even refuses to accept certain categories of people (Arabs, criminals, drug addicts, people deemed "political extremists", etc.). The question of drafting the Orthodox exists not because the army has a critical lack of manpower, but because of the political implications of the wide segment of people visibly taking money from the state but not contributing back by being part of the military service. Once this setup - which is a source of frustration for many political movements in Israel - is gone, nobody is going to watch over every single Yeshiva student to ensure what happens to them, so I am sure some solution will be found that is workable both for the Army and for the Orthodox leadership.
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