ABSTRACT
Army service in Israel is a central experience of the society and the individual. For many Jews, army service is a major form of identification with the country. For non-Jews, it signifies their being outside the mainstream of Israeli life. The defense issue segregates the Jewish from the Arab population by requiring army service from the former while denying it to the latter. Army service can be seen in the context of the general societal consensus regarding security, the general preoccupation with the topic, and reinforcing beliefs and values which have been transmitted at early stages. Lower army service rates were found among the lower income group as well. For men who reported their family income to be above average, 14 percent had no army service. Regarding national security issues, a strong argument could be made for expecting that army service would have a moderating effect on attitudes.
