A national inspector, two deputies and six regional inspectors, all women, will be appointed by the Israel Government to implement the national conscription law for non-military service for women, it was indicated today in a statement issued here by the Israel Office of Information.
These inspectors, the statement said, will regulate the employment of girls eligible for service in coordination with the respective governmental and private institutions. Special regulations for the observance of Sabbath, holidays and Kashrut will be issued soon.
This is in accordance with Article 8 of the National Service Law which provides that “a person eligible for service exempted from defense service on religious grounds shall be assured during her national service of an opportunity to maintain a religious way of life in accordance with rules to be prescribed by regulations,” the statement explained.
“As far as service will require staying overnight outside a girl’s home, this stay will be arranged in a religious place,” the statement emphasized. “However, every effort will be made to enable the girls to return to their homes after doing their day’s work.”
GIRLS WITH HIGHER EDUCATION TO BE DRAFTED FIRST
The girls will be employed in relief services, teaching, health services and agriculture. Among the first to be drafted will be those girls with a high school education and graduates of teachers colleges. These will greatly contribute to the educational and social welfare services in the immigrant settlements. Regulations will require inspectors to assign girls to service wherever possible in accordance with their personal preferences.
“In this connection,” the statement pointed out, “it should be remembered that religious girls whose traditional way of life is inconsistent with any employment outside their home environment will be completely exempt from any kind of national service.”
The statement drew attention to the fact that Article 13 of the law stipulates that “the Minister shall appoint general or special boards for national service which shall be authorized to grant relief from the duty of national service, or to postpone the service for family, educational or economic reasons or for reasons connected with a family’s special way of life.”
From authoritative circles it is learned that the exemption boards will be composed mainly of religious persons.
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