Joining the Conflict: Defending One’s Country

Abstract

As with their Palestinian counterparts, Israeli participants largely took on the role that the society had prepared for them. Military service is essentially compulsory in Israel and for most, the question of whether or not to serve in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) did not even arise. The majority of the Israeli participants did join the army when their time for service came after high school. Participants described various reasons for joining the military including societal expectations, duty toward one’s family and one’s country, fear of repercussions for not serving, wanting to look good in front of others, excitement at being involved in the action, and the desire to achieve.