Israeli Arab Knesset member Jamal Zahalka (National Democratic Assembly) has spoken out against national service for Israeli Arabs, saying that young people who volunteer will be ostracized.
"Anyone who does national service should be ashamed," Zahalka said on Saturday. "A young woman needs to know that if she performs national service, there is a chance no one will marry her and she will be ostracized. The same is true for every boy."
Zahalka was speaking at a gathering of the Arab Higher Monitoring Committee, an umbrella group for Arab Knesset members, religious leaders and other leaders of the Israeli Arab public.
"We have to oppose this civil-national service in a clear and determined way," Zahalka said. "This is not a subject to discuss, it is cause for battle, and we can do it."
Sheikh Raed Salah, leader of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, said that he would be willing to go to jail for everyone who refuses to serve.
According to Army Radio, the ministerial committee for equalizing the burden does not seek to impose mandatory national service for Arab citizens, some of whom currently do national service voluntarily. The Arab public opposes national service for various reasons, ranging from an unwillingness to link equality of rights to equality of duties, to the idea that while volunteering is a good thing, the state should not be in charge, and also out of fear that such service weakens Palestinian national identity.
The government is soon expected to approve quotas for the Israeli Arab sector's service. The quotas are expected to range from 3,000 volunteers in 2014 to 6,000 in 2017.
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