More than 1,000 Israeli Arabs have volunteered to serve in the IDF as subscribers or investors in the past year, and most after the coronavirus crisis began in March , the Army Steering Group said Sunday.
The number of subscribers from the Arab region is more than double that of previous years, and includes Muslims from areas such as Taibe, Qalansuwa and East Jerusalem, Bedouin from Galilee and Christian Arabs from the side. north.
Israeli Arab forces during basic training
(Photo: IDF Speaker Unit)
Along with the overall increase in the number of new Israeli Arab troops, the number of people enlisting for combat positions has also gone up.
Some 450 new soldiers joined as scouts and fighters in the Bedouin surveillance unit, while dozens more have joined well-known infantry such as Kfir and Nahal while others still serve in the Boundaries.
The increase in writings can be attributed to the Manpower Steering Group’s online campaign through which around 4,000 volunteers expressed an interest in joining the IDF this year alone.
To the surprise of the army, some of those who expressed interest came from so-called enemy states in the area. However, these countries’ applications had to be rejected due to security concerns.
“Around 700 volunteers have been called in from Arab countries such as Lebanon and Syria, possibly as part of the transformation the region is undergoing. We couldn’t believe the request, ”said the Human Resources Directorate.
“As a result, we opened a recruitment bureau in Galilee, where volunteers can study to improve their Hebrew. This branch will be able to employ up to 2,500 people per year,” the Directorate said .
Israeli Arab Correspondents in IDF as Part of ‘Ambassadors in Uniform’ Campaign
(Photo: IDF Speaker Unit)
The IDF’s “Ambassadors in Uniform” campaign – which will give a brief start-up term in the army to opinion leaders in the Arab region – has also doubled this year with more than 100 consulates.
This year also saw an increase in the willingness of Druze youngsters from the small towns of Majdal Shams, Buqata, Mas’ada and Ein Kinya in northern Golan Heights to list.
In the past, the four cities have stopped formally oppressing Israel, for fear that the Golan Heights would eventually return to Syrian control.
The IDF is also preparing to open classrooms for technological studies in several Druze cities and Arab high schools, to help them integrate as technologists in the military and allow them to get a career for the future. their civilization.
“Since the coronavirus crisis began in March, there has been a dramatic change in the willingness of young people in the Arab and Haredi regions to participate in the IDF,” said a senior official in the Personnel Directorate.
IDF Home Front Command soldiers in the local community in Haifa
The IDF intends to use some of their new Arab and ultra-rectangular inscriptions as Home Front Command forces in their own districts or villages in emergencies, because of their best known understanding of the the local population and its needs.
“In the ultra-orthodox sector alone, at least three sessions of basic training will begin before the end of April, adding 300 ultra-orthodox soldiers to the Home Front Command,” the chief executive said.
“A movement has been created, and now the army is seen differently by both ultra-rectangular and Arab peoples.”