Israeli youth: Indifferent patriots

[Scurrilous]

61% of youth would vote for Right, they flock in unprecedented conformism to IDF's combat units, but show indifference when it comes to social issues. Experts analyze Israeli youth

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3871728,00.html

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"Recent studies show that the Israeli youth is no less patriotic than the adult population, is significantly more right-wing, and is highly motivated to enlist to the IDF's combat units. But it seems that another characteristic trait of the Israeli youth is indifference – as it will not strive to undermine social norms or wage social struggles.

March 2009 saw a record in the number of recruits eligible for combat service requesting to enlist to combat units, which stood at 73%. This record was broken in November, and stood at 73.7%. March 2010 saw a new record: 76% of recruits with high medical profiles asked to serve in combat units. "This trend of attraction to the combat units is well felt in the field, and reflects a significant decline in the dropout rate during training," a senior officer told Ynet.

Along with this increase in combat motivation comes a rise in nationalism. For example, a recent poll showed that 46% of Jewish high school students in Israel object to granting equal rights to Arabs.

Professor Oz Almog, an expert on the Israeli society at Haifa University, offered a simple explanation: "The difference between the Israeli youth and its western counterpart, with regards to the military and patriotism, stems from the fact that here we are faced with a war of survival, and there, the policy addresses combat in faraway countries. Here there is mandatory military service, and there, many do not serve. Here we have terror, and there it is a rare sight."

Others point to the Second Lebanon War and Operation Cast Lead as responsible for the recent rise in motivation. But there are those that say this is not necessarily a positive trend.

"The youth here is brought up on patriotism and the justness of our cause at any cost, and from here stems the lack of willingness to justify anyone else, and the one-sided approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," said Professor Shifra Sagy, head of the conflict management and resolution program at Ben Gurion University.

Sagy believes that the mandatory military recruitment indoctrinates the youth to "see the justness in our side alone. This leads the youth to become more patriotic later on and to identify with the Israeli side." As a result, Sagy says, the Israeli youth does not see the other side, and holds extreme views, "under the patronage of the education system, the schoolbooks, the media and the social atmosphere. This is why youths here are different from their counterparts, who, in western countries, can allow themselves to hold more pluralistic views."



Related thread:

Poll: Half of Israeli high schoolers oppose equal rights for Arabs

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=124&topic_id=304673