Behind Mandatory Service in Israel: From the Rationale of the Militia to the Rationale of Military-Technological Superiority

The IDF’s singular approach to military-technological superiority prompts dependence on the recruitment of Israel's STEM (science technology, engineering, and mathematics) elite within the conscription model. The article argues that the quantitative logic, or militia rationale underlying the initial conscription model was also used from the outset to recruit the STEM youth elite, and to track it for building the IDF's techno-operational edge. Over time, the center of gravity of the model's underlying logic shifted—from a quantitative emphasis to an emphasis on the need to recruit a skilled population, and above all, the STEM elite, through the conscription of the general population. Defense R&D and the expansion of the special recruitment tracks advanced simultaneously, and this elite population became the pillar of the IDF and the entire security establishment's techno-operational force buildup. Given this ongoing process and because there is no practical alternative for recruiting this elite without conscription, any change to the conscription model must consider the importance of recruiting this elite. The article concludes with a discussion of the inherent risks to this recruitment in scenarios of shortened or differential mandatory service.