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Avoiding Conscription in Israel: Were Women Pawns in the Political Game?

Avoiding Conscription in Israel: Were Women Pawns in the Political Game?

Nurit Gillath
Copyright: © 2017 |Pages: 31
ISBN13: 9781522505167|ISBN10: 1522505164|EISBN13: 9781522505174
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-0516-7.ch009
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MLA

Gillath, Nurit. "Avoiding Conscription in Israel: Were Women Pawns in the Political Game?." Comparative Perspectives on Civil Religion, Nationalism, and Political Influence, edited by Eyal Lewin, et al., IGI Global, 2017, pp. 226-256. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-0516-7.ch009

APA

Gillath, N. (2017). Avoiding Conscription in Israel: Were Women Pawns in the Political Game?. In E. Lewin, E. Bick, & D. Naor (Eds.), Comparative Perspectives on Civil Religion, Nationalism, and Political Influence (pp. 226-256). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-0516-7.ch009

Chicago

Gillath, Nurit. "Avoiding Conscription in Israel: Were Women Pawns in the Political Game?." In Comparative Perspectives on Civil Religion, Nationalism, and Political Influence, edited by Eyal Lewin, Etta Bick, and Dan Naor, 226-256. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2017. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-0516-7.ch009

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Abstract

This chapter tackles Zionism as a modern manifestation of nationalism that included religion as an essential component of national identity. Positing from a feminist perspective that national identity is synonymous with masculinity, the author searches for the women's place in the Zionist movement, particularly through the prism of military service. The Israeli army had a major role in the creation of a Zionist national ethos, and the concept of a people's army, where women should be equal participants shaped the country as the only western democracy that conscripted women. With the establishment of the state, conscription to the IDF was made mandatory for both men and women. However, women's conscription met bitter opposition from religious Orthodox circles. This chapter analyzes how orthodox women were political pawns in the hands of religious leaders. The author claims that they were robbed of their right to choose military service and as such to be an equal part of Israel's diverse society.

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