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Defense Minister Ehud Barak speaking at an assembly in Tel Aviv on Monday. (Tomer Appelbaum)
Last update - 22:04 30/07/2007
Barak: Draft dodgers must face public scorn, carry 'mark of Cain'
By Haaretz Service

Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Monday Israel must return to the days when draft dodgers were publicly scorned as carrying "the mark of Cain."

The defense minister's remarks followed the Israel Defense Forces' release of data two weeks ago showing that a quarter of all draft-age men who are obligated to serve are not enlisted.

Barak was speaking at a memorial assembly for Haaretz defense editor Ze'ev Schiff, who was also head of the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University.
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"The Israel Defense Forces are turning gradually into an army of only half the people," Barak said. He was referring to the once common description of the IDF as "the people's army."

Barak continued: "Israeli society does not support reservists - employers fire them and university lecturers do not let them take exams at alternative dates."

The defense minister said soldiers shouldn't feel he is going into battle while in the eyes of a large part of society he is a "sucker."

"A soldier cannot charge forward with his full strength if he feels the home front is broken," he said.

According to Barak, Israeli society will only survive if it knows how to respect those deserving of respect. He referred to steps that IDF Chief of Staf Gabi Ashkenazi has recently taken to rehabilitate the army, and said it has done "in the last half year deep and comprehensive work to implement the lessons of the Second Lebanon War, and to bring back the values upon which it was founded."

IDF statistics show that 11 percent of all draft-age men are not enlisted for the reason that "the Torah is their vocation," meaning yeshiva studies, while four percent are not drafted due to criminal backgrounds. Many others receive medical and psychological releases from the draft
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  1.   Nobody has demeaned the IDF and Israel as much as Barak 22:05  |  Absolute Sweden 30/07/07
  2.   Must bear mark of "Cain." Absolutely positively... 22:09  |  bat yam 30/07/07
  3.   NOBODY WANTS TO BE BARAK`S "SUCKER!" 22:20  |  BILL HANDEL 30/07/07
  4.   To: Absolute Sweden 22:49  |  Dan 30/07/07
  5.   An 18 Year Old Israeli Soldiers Must be the Most Respected... 22:51  |  don 30/07/07
  6.   Buzaglo 22:58  |  lea 30/07/07
  7.   What about Olmet`s Kids? 23:11  |  Mem 30/07/07
  8.   National service 23:14  |  Joseph 30/07/07
  9.   "The apples do not fall far from their tree." 23:24  |  curious 30/07/07
  10.   Yeshiva studies 23:37  |  Anton Macker 30/07/07
  11.   Our spiritually and criminally corrupt leaders... 23:39  |  bat yam 30/07/07
  12.   let barak resign now 23:55  |  avi 30/07/07
  13.   Avi what a pity 00:20  |  Elliott 31/07/07
  14.   draft dodgers 00:28  |  colin 31/07/07
  15.   absolute sweden 1 00:39  |  realism 31/07/07
  16.   Thank goodness that draft dodgers are on...... 00:40  |  Deborah 31/07/07
  17.   Mark of Cain??? 00:45  |  Jim 31/07/07
  18.   Getting shot at 01:10  |  Jim 31/07/07
  19.   Spartan Solution 01:11  |  Efox 31/07/07
  20.   No Conflict Between Torah and Service 01:14  |  Efox 31/07/07
  21.   #15,realism :True,good vine might come even from rotten vats 01:14  |  Absolute Sweden 31/07/07
  22.   Everybody 01:21  |  ChanahS 31/07/07
  23.   # 16 Deborah 01:22  |  Jim 31/07/07
  24.   the "Mark of Cain" 01:48  |  flum 31/07/07
  25.   MORE SO THE leaders 01:48  |  Yanatan 31/07/07
  26.   ABSOLUT SWEDEN YOURE RIGHT!!! 02:07  |  yonni ezra 31/07/07
  27.   should our president carry the mark too? 02:14  |  yonni ezra 31/07/07
  28.   I don`t want to waste three years for those corrupt politicians.. 02:24  |  Draft Dodger 31/07/07
  29.   Draft dodgers must face public scorn, carry `mark of Cain 02:26  |  Danny Downey 31/07/07
  30.   Or maybe 02:44  |  danite 31/07/07
  31.   dodging 03:04  |  Yuval 31/07/07
  32.   Here in America we call them 03:09  |  Mark Lincoln 31/07/07
  33.   Deborah, increase? What increase? 03:12  |  Jake 31/07/07
  34.   Jim, and you get an F 03:17  |  Jake 31/07/07
  35.   Sorry Downey, wrong answer 03:24  |  Jake 31/07/07
  36.   BAT YAM #11 03:27  |  JOJO 31/07/07
  37.   Most Israeli refusers are religious rightists 03:28  |  Jake 31/07/07
  38.   Yuval gives 3 cheers for Cain 03:37  |  Jake 31/07/07
  39.   Barak is 100% right 03:53  |  Ofer 31/07/07
  40.   # 34 Well, Jake, since you brought it up.... 04:33  |  Jim 31/07/07
  41.   NOT ALL SERVE 04:36  |  TOBIA 31/07/07
  42.   danny downey 29 04:42  |  JON FEIGENBAUM 31/07/07
  43.   # 28 Draft Dodger: The question is... 04:57  |  Jim 31/07/07
  44.   # 36 JOJO 05:16  |  Jim 31/07/07
  45.   # 42 Jon Feigenbaum from Florida 05:45  |  Jim 31/07/07
  46.   Draft dodgers 05:46  |  Monique 31/07/07
  47.   barak 05:49  |  DOV KORET 31/07/07
  48.   Ehud Barak Knows 06:51  |  Tom Horowitz 31/07/07
  49.   It`s too late for that Mr. Barak 07:54  |  sh 31/07/07
  50.   Jake #38 08:34  |  yuval 31/07/07
  51.   No Moral Authority 08:43  |  Moshe 31/07/07
  52.   reservist 09:51  |  rafiq 31/07/07
  53.   You people don`t get it 09:58  |  Big Al 31/07/07
  54.   You people still don`t get it 10:30  |  Big Al 31/07/07
  55.   The Olmert Boys 10:39  |  moish 31/07/07
  56.   Barak and the draft 12:21  |  Tvi Sunshine 31/07/07
  57.   Draft dodgers 12:58  |  Giora Nevo 31/07/07
  58.   25 -11 = 14% 14:30  |  Hilly 31/07/07
  59.   #23 Jim. 16:18  |  Deborah 31/07/07
  60.   Some Practical Suggestions. 17:03  |  SM 31/07/07
  61.   Some Practical Suggestions 17:25  |  SM 31/07/07
  62.   Barak should honor 1967 borders 21:17  |  Mary 05/08/07
  63.   Barak demeans IDF 19:01  |  TheAZCowBoy 06/08/07
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