The Israel Defense Forces is downsizing its Bedouin reconnaissance battalion into a unit. An officer with the rank of brigadier general will continue to command the unit, which will comprise several combat teams and career soldiers. Although military service is not compulsory for Bedouin, many have volunteered to serve in the IDF since Israel's founding. For years, they overwhelmingly served in reconnaissance and tracker units as career soldiers or IDF civilian employees. In the 1990s, the IDF established the Bedouin reconnaissance unit, which later grew into a battalion serving under the Gaza Division. Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot recently decided to downsize the battalion. According to the IDF, this was done in large part because Bedouin who volunteer for military service prefer to enlist to other units, such as the Border Police or transport units, and relatively few are interested in joining the reconnaissance unit. In recent years, the IDF has faced difficulty in increasing the number of Bedouin who enlist, which stands at some 350 per year. The greatest challenge is the lack of support within the sector, which does not support enlistment over local governance issues, as well as difficult living conditions and poor education. According to the IDF, all military units are open to Bedouin enlistment, based on individual ability, military needs and security clearance. To expand Bedouin enlistment, the IDF recently created a new service model for the community, by which the military will provide a three-month course to those it believes will benefit from additional training following their enlistment and prior to being assigned to specific units. Then, in the last month of their military service, the IDF will provide these same soldiers with additional training to help them transition back to civilian life.
