Army to Crack Down on ‘yordim’ Who Refuse to Return to Israel for Compulsory Military Duty

Army authorities are planning to crack down on Israelis living abroad who refuse to return for compulsory military duty. One measure contemplated is to have their passports revoked. It would be aimed chiefly at military-age “yordim,” Israelis who have chosen to live permanently in foreign countries but retain their Israeli passports. Other Israelis living abroad who do not return for reserve duty during times of emergency will also face the loss of their passports, army authorities said.

There are many thousands of Israelis working or studying abroad, the bulk of them in the United States. A senior officer of Colonel rank has been sent to the U.S. to take charge of locating Israeli citizens and seeing that they register for military service at their local consulates. They will be notified through special advertisements to be placed in the Jewish newspapers, army authorities said. According to Israeli law, all able-bodied citizens must serve in the armed forces for periods of up to three years.