Israel is a Jewish nation, but its population is far from a monolith
In Israel’s single largest casualty event since the Gaza invasion began in October 2023, 21 Israeli soldiers were killed in an explosion on Jan. 22, 2024.
- In Israel’s single largest casualty event since the Gaza invasion began in October 2023, 21 Israeli soldiers were killed in an explosion on Jan. 22, 2024.
- 1st Class Cedrick Garin, a 23-year-old Filipino-Israeli whose mother came to the country to work before he was born.
- Hamas’ roughly 240 hostages, for example, were nationals of 25 different countries, including Thailand, Nepal, the Philippines and Tanzania.
- Hamas kidnapped Muslim citizens of Israel alongside Jewish Israelis, Americans and other dual nationals.
Israel’s diversity
- Much smaller groups of Israeli Jews were born in Africa and Asia, in countries including India and Uzbekistan.
- Roughly 20% of Israelis are Arab, including Muslims, Christians and Druze, a group of people who observe a distinct monotheistic religion.
- Another 5% of Israeli residents are neither Jewish nor Arab, including more than 25,000 African migrants who live in Israel.
Military service requirements
- Israel has different rules for military service for its citizens, depending on their background.
- Every Israeli citizen over the age of 18 who is Jewish, Druze or Circassian must serve in the military, unless they are religiously observant and/or married when conscripted.
- Mandatory service brings together Israelis of all backgrounds, forces them to work together and instills a sense of obligation to the broader society.
Minorities in Israel
- Abu Latif, who was called up as a reserve soldier, was killed in the Jan. 22, 2024, blast in Gaza.
- The vast majority of the 370,000 Bedouins in Israel are citizens and identify as Muslim.
- Unlike Jewish Israelis and Druze men who are required to serve in the Israel Defense Forces, Bedouins volunteer.
- In 2020, a record number of 600 Bedouins joined the Israel military.
- Another minority group in Israel, the Druze people, have a long history of Israeli military service.
Jewish minorities
- Even the deaths of Jewish soldiers reflect the complexity of Israeli society.
- In all, Jewish soldiers killed in the conflict have ties to at least 12 countries other than Israel.
- Soldiers killed in Gaza include Staff Sgt.
Equal in war?
- This exempts ultra-Orthodox Jews, who make up approximately 13% of the country, from military service.
- Women as well as men studying at a yeshiva, a Jewish religious college, are excused from service so they can follow strict religious observances and study religious texts.
- In August 2023, only 9% of eligible ultra-Orthodox men served in the military, compared with an 80% national average among other Jewish Israelis.
Jessica Trisko Darden is Director of the (In)Security Lab at Virginia Commonwealth University and Director of the Security & Foreign Policy Initiative at William & Mary's Global Research Institute.