ABSTRACT
Formally, Israel’s conscription policies and practices give an impression of almost unique resilience. Elsewhere in the world, the late twentieth century witnessed sweeping changes in military service systems. The universal draft, once a norm in democratic as well as authoritarian states, became exceptional and all-volunteer forces the rule. In Israel, by contrast, most of the service laws enacted as long ago as 1949 remain on the statute books. As a result, the Israel Defense Force (IDF) is still predominantly manned by conscripts and mandatory reservists, not professionals.
