- The Israeli Defence Force has been hit by a sharp rise
in the number of desertions among its troops, according to an army report.
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- Military police are dealing with at least 40% more deserters
than last year, the result of increasing numbers of reservists refusing
to perform military service. One report put the increase as high as 67%.
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- Since the beginning of the intifada in 2000, the army
has been forced to call up tens of thousands of reservists every month
to conduct operations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
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- It consists of 186,500 regular troops supplemented by
a reserve force of 445,000.
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- The regular army consists of men and women aged between
18 and 21 doing national service and career soldiers. The reservists are
mainly men aged between 21 and 45.
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- A report in the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, quoted military
sources saying that as of last week, military police were dealing with
2,616 deserters compared with 1,564 last year. It also stated that reservists
are now forced to serve an average of 33 days per year.
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- A spokesman for the IDF said yesterday that the rate
of desertions had increased massively since the beginning of the intifada.
The rate of desertion in 1999 increased by 7%, by 31% in 2000 and by 40%
in 2002. He added that the latest figures were still being analysed and
refused to give the numbers involved.
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- Although 208 members of the Israeli security services
have been killed in the intifada, the army believes that the majority of
deserters are ignoring the call up for economic reasons. Wages have fallen
by 7%, the economy has shrunk by 1% and unemployment stands at more than
10%.
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- Both reservists and conscripts have claimed that they
deserted to earn more money for their families while reservists feared
losing their jobs because of the prolonged absence caused by their military
service.
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- The deserters also include conscientious objectors who
refuse to serve in the Occupied Territories although they are willing to
serve within Israel's international borders.
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- http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,842992,00.html
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