Last update - 00:00 31/10/2007
A question of loyalty for Arab youths
By Jack Khoury
For the past few months, a debate has been raging in the Israeli-Arab sector concerning national service for Israel's Arab citizens. Opponents contend that granting legitimacy to such service - originally instituted as an alternative to compulsory military service - will make Arab youths lose their sense of nationalism, while its proponents claim that national service is a purely civilian activity and will help young people both personally and socially.
Nora Assi, 20, of Acre, says that when she decided to volunteer for national service, her whole family supported her. Assi in now in her second year of volunteering at the Nahariya hospital. She says she has heard about the national service debate in the Arab sector, but gives off the impression that she has not really been following the issue.
"I feel certain that I am doing a positive thing for myself and my society. I am not interested in the political arguments," she says.
Assi's friend, Suha Mitri, 19, feels the same way.
"There are lots of positive aspects [to national service]. What's important is helping others and strengthening the volunteering spirit," says Mitri.
Last week a conference was held in Haifa against Arab youth volunteering for national service. The "I'm Not Serving" conference was organized by the Baladna association, and was well-attended.
Shawki Khatib, who chairs the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee, was there.
He said the conference was an expression of the broad consensus among the Arab public against national service.
Most of the speakers said having to complete national service would make Arab youth lose their national identity.
"This is a project aimed at breaking the psychological barrier between Israeli Arabs and the defense establishment," said Hadash Secretary Iman Ouda, "because the whole issue of civilian service is based on a security concept."
Ouda said that the proof that most Israeli Arabs share his opinion is the small number of volunteers - less than 500.
The monitoring committee has proposed ways to strengthen the volunteering spirit among Arab youth outside the establishment, in order to provide an alternative to the national service proponents.
Saed Abu Zalam, who is in charge of civilian service for the organization for national service volunteering, rejects any links to the defense establishment.
"There is no connection," he says. "I see nothing wrong with civilian service, which helps young men and women in many ways, both personally and economically. The truth of the matter is that in recent weeks, we barely have managed to process the requests from the all the volunteers."