Men mostly serve in menial labor or combat jobs in the IDF. Those who have secretarial, administrative and “blue collar” roles (jobniks) are looked down upon, and make less money even when serving in hard and dangerous positions while those serving in combat are called “suckers” they come home once a month and finish their military service without acquiring any real life skill.

Men get called back into the reserves for a period averaging one month a year (more for officers) during most of their adult life (until around age 45-50). All able bodied men including fathers, independent business owners and university students. (On the grounds that after 3 years, what’s 30 more?)

Upon finishing 36 months of army service, including much physical strain and in many cases little time home, men get around 1300$ more then women who serve 21 months. (That works out to about 85 dollars for each month over 21 served)

Male officers in the IDF have to do a longer and harder officer course than females after they already do a longer and harder basic training than females. (On the grounds that they will serve longer anyway)

Most high ranking positions in government institutions, as well as as political appointments go to ex-IDF officers because frankly, there isn’t much else to do with a 50 year old man who spent his whole life as an administrator in the army and has no education or life experience in any thing else but managing large groups of people and the intricacies of Israeli politics.

This so-called injustice towards women in the reserves of army service is the number 1 factor in women starting their life a year earlier and going straight through university uninterrupted, getting a tax reduction for their entire life, not having stigmas of who they are according to the unit they served in and not having problems getting a job because they were an officer and serve an above average number of days in the reserves. This is why people who serve in the reserves are considered suckers, and fewer people serve every year.

For a men, getting out of service is much harder than for a women. Women just have to declare they do not want to serve for religious/humanitarian reasons, while men have to get a Profile of 21 which follows you around your whole life.

It’s too late for the likes of me, though, I will be spending one month of every year for the next 30 years driving trucks or guarding bases in Arab territories not going home to my family while being harassed by officers and 19 year old women soldiers who have absolutely no respect or regard for the fact I have a real life to attend too aside from this one month nonsense.

I often am thankful for just bringing in a water tankers to soldiers my age who haven’t showered in a month because they might get shot at by Hizzbolah terrorists and not being one of them sent into battle by hellish bureaucrat. and some poor girl who serves him coffee and goes home at 5 o’clock.

As I was told on the day I was discharged after serving 38 months. “You have now just begun your service… when you are 50 you’ll be free”