Abstract
Jewish culture deals a lot with survival stories – most of them became myths, especially since the establishment of the state of Israel. The Jewish ‘survival ethos’ is assimilated in Israel mostly by customs, traditions, and education. Above all, it has been claimed that military service in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) is the most significant institution that empowers the survival ethos. As a result, it is assumed that those who serve in the IDF are characterized by hatred towards Arabs, and by being extreme nationalists. This claim is examined in the current article, which analyses the level of the sense of security threat among Israelis during the last decade, draws on data on military service and levels of trust in Israeli government institutions, and reveals an essential finding: Israeli’s survival ethos is being eroded among IDF soldiers. This finding, followed by the fact that the leaders of the liberal party in the Israeli parliament are former military generals, indicates that military service in Israel does not empower extreme nationalism; on the contrary, service in the IDF has become a moderating social mechanism.
Highlights
The Jewish culture has a defining characteristic – since its creation it has been based on stories of survival and wars for salvation
Some of these stories became myths; almost all of Israeli traditions are based on legends and real events that revolve around a never-ending war for survival.[1]
Ex-Israel Defence Forces (IDF) commanders and sociologists claim that the military service could be a turning point in terms of the ethos, and could lead to the development of a moderate point of view when it comes to security threats
Summary
The Jewish culture has a defining characteristic – since its creation it has been based on stories of survival and wars for salvation Some of these stories became myths; almost all of Israeli traditions are based on legends and real events that revolve around a never-ending war for survival.[1] In recent years, it has been claimed that most Jewish citizens in Israel are trapped with a ‘Siege Mentality’,2 because of on-going wars against terror. It is logical to presume that if one does military service, especially during periods of war, one will be discharged from army duty with the conviction that Israel is under a great threat This process could be a major contribution to the traditional ‘survival’ myth. Ex-IDF commanders and sociologists claim that the military service could be a turning point in terms of the ethos, and could lead to the development of a moderate point of view when it comes to security threats
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
