From your current U.S. home base I would think it might be difficult to assess how much things have changed in this region since Lebanon in the early 80′s.

And during the 80′s, there weren’t record numbers of soldiers refusing service. That’s happening now. So clearly something has changed.

Further, Stephanie values life while divorcing herself from the protection of it. Is this not somewhat like a willingness to parent a child, but a refusal to take responsibility for its protection? In Stephanie’s thinking she values life, but not enough to sacrifice her “higher” values of personal peace and prosperity.

To believe that some form of pacifism or neutrality will resolve national conflict is to repeat the error of the Netherlands & Switzerland during World War II. Both were occupied and Anne Frank died.

I ended up in Lebanon from 1980-81. We heard the same arguments 27 years ago.

I missed the 1973 war, but I had four members of my family serve then. I entered service in 1977 and ended up in Lebanon.

It does not matter what these people feel – they have a responsibility. What kind of people are they that they are okay seeing fellow citizens risk their lives?

Are they Israelis? If so they must meet their responsibility.

I served four years and then the reserves for years.

I have no sympathy at all for these shirkers. They are parasites and cowards.

The key is talking to the real people – the young people – on the ground and finding out what’s going on with them. And no matter your political view, the discontent is real and needs to be addressed, not strong armed into compliance.

I declare that the reason there is the problem of a rejection of serving in the IDF belongs directly in the laps of the Israeli intellectuals. Along with media cooperation, and the indulgence of the education system and even parents, the existence of Israel and the morality of Zionism is being undermined.

How can anyone expect people to serve when the Arabs are considered to have an equal point?

How can one blame soldiers for refusing when they see Jews being cast out of their homes by Israeli soldiers yet the Prime Minister and the IDF compromise defensive action by not bombing enemy civilians when Israrel’s security is at risk? Think about Sderot – it is an utter disgrace that those people have to live with the threat.

It was Thomas Jefferson, one of the Framers of the US Constitution and Preident as wellas great thinker, that declared the ONLY reason for the existence of government, is the protection of the individual rights of a free nation – iow: security.

How can one blame people when they see Israeli soldiers being forced to sacrifice their lives such as happened in Jenin, when 13 Israeli soldiers were killed for the sake of harming enemy civilians?

One day, the Zionist fervor of those who founded and built Israel, will be reestablished, and it will loudly be declared that the country of Israel, in the Land Of Israel, is there by RIGHT and that there is no equivocation or deliberation required or discussion needed.

And those who do not want to serve? Leave and stop being parasites. Israel does not need you.