MK Basel Ghattas (Balad) told Army Radio on Tuesday that the recent defense establishment decision to start sending preliminary conscription notices to all Christian Arabs of enlistment age was an attempt to divide Israeli Arabs in Israel.
His comments came after Army Radio reported Tuesday a change in IDF policy which includes sending preliminary conscription orders to all Christian Arabs at the age of 16-and-a-half. They will then have a preliminary meeting at the IDF conscription office, and decide whether or not to serve.
“Within a year we will see them trying to enlist everyone,” Ghattas claimed.
“We are obviously against it. I called to all the young men in the sector to send back the enlistment orders or to burn them at a protest.”
Currently the young men must seek out the army on their own accord if they want to serve. Under the new policy, the enlistment of the Christian Arabs will remain voluntary.
Army Radio stated that in the past, around 40-50 young men from the Christian Arab sector enlisted each year, and that this year the number had risen to around 100.
The army believes there is potential to raise the yearly number to around 1000, according to Army Radio.
View original Jerusalem Post publication at: http://www.jpost.com/National-News/Arab-MK-Israel-trying-to-divide-Arabs-by-targeting-Christians-for-IDF-draft-350070
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