The Case for Mandatory National Service

Could mandatory military service spark a renaissance for America’s struggling youth, who now suffer from record levels of anxiety, depression, and mental illness – along with a total collapse in patriotism?

It might sound crazy. Didn’t we get rid of the draft for good in 1973? Wouldn’t mandatory military service just produce massive societal backlash? Perhaps. But the conversation may be more nuanced than it initially appears.

This past week, I’ve been touring Israel and studying its politics, institutions, and religion as a guest of the Herzl Institute in Jerusalem.

In Israel, Jewish men and women are generally subject to conscription into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) at age 18. Druze men, members of an Arabic-speaking religious minority, and Circassian men, who belong to a small mostly Sunni Muslim community with roots in the Caucasus, are also subject to conscription. Arab Christians and Muslims are not drafted, though they may voluntarily enlist. Men are generally required to serve 32 months, while women serve 24 months.

There are various exemptions for physical, psychological, religious, and legal reasons. Some religious Jews, especially women, take advantage of alternative forms of national service. Also, some young people who wish to serve are declared unsuitable for military service.

Haredi, or “ultra-Orthodox” Jews, were exempt from service until a 2024 Supreme Court decision. They are still likely to take advantage of exemptions allowing them to delay service, many indefinitely.

What several religious Jews told me is that this reluctance to serve stems from Haredi distrust of the secular Israeli government and the fear that such service will secularize their own children. The political debate in Israel over this issue is likely to affect the upcoming fall elections, since Haredi Jews make up 15 percent of Israel’s population. Many Israelis feel that such a large group should share the burden of defense in a small country surrounded by enemies.

Despite some difficulties, what I repeatedly heard from a variety of people in Israel is how important this service was to them and to the country. Having young people from diverse backgrounds coming together to defend the nation has several major advantages.

First, young Israeli men and women come to understand others. While Israel is a relatively small nation of 10 million people, that’s still big enough to have significant differences. Mandatory service plays “an important social role as a primary melting pot and equalizer for a country of immigrants.” Israeli Jews from different kinds of communities get to know and understand each other. They also get to know those from other communities that are a part of Israel. A young man selling tea in Jerusalem’s marketplace known as “The Shuk” told us that his best friend in the IDF was a Maronite Christian.

Second, while there have been some secular and leftist influences in the IDF, soldiers have lately had both religious and civic education as part of their service. What better way to instill patriotism in young people than having them work together for the good of the nation?

Third, everyone in the IDF gets exposure to doing grown-up things. One influential figure in the tech world described how young people who get out of the military in their early 20s have already had experience commanding battalions or doing other serious jobs.

Of course, depending on what they saw in their service, the experience can be difficult. Those who have seen combat, especially since the start of the ongoing war against Hamas, have had problems readjusting to society. Some IDF veterans told me that, even if they do not see battle, young veterans take a bit of time after their service to figure things out. But, as one told me, they generally tend to figure it out.

When they do figure it out, they possess the discipline to go after what they want. Unlike many American students who graduate from college with six figures of debt and no idea what they want to do in life, military service members have had years to try out different jobs and learn about themselves – while getting paid instead of going broke.

Military veterans also have other advantages. For one thing, they have usually had training with high-tech equipment. For another, their service doesn’t just promote social cohesion; it provides a uniquely broad network that can help them after their service. As one article puts it, “many Jewish-Israelis make social connections and receive training in the army that lay the foundation of their careers after the army service.”

Given that IDF veterans become reserve soldiers after full-time service and are eligible for call-ups until about age 40, the potential for nourishing and expanding those networks continues.

It is true that mandatory military service in the United States would not be easy. There are, however, many nations that have such mandatory service, including Brazil, Greece, Turkey, Singapore, and others. Israel is not the sole model for America.

Would Americans go for it? It seems they might, if military service is not the only option. In a 2024 essay, University of Pennsylvania Professor Jonathan Zimmerman observed that, though President Trump has opposed any form of mandatory national service, then-Vice President-elect Vance was open to it.

So, too, were Americans. Zimmerman cited a 2023 survey that showed “75 percent of Americans aged 18-24 said they would support a required term of service so long as participation in the military remained optional.” Zimmerman noted that 60 percent of young people surveyed complained of the lack of a “common experience” as Americans.

Given that American military recruitment numbers have bumped up again with Pete Hegseth in charge at the Pentagon, maybe mandatory military service right now is neither needed nor possible. Given what I’ve seen in Israel this week, something like it might well be just what young Americans – and all Americans – need.