The exceptional centrality of security to the national existence of Israel has led scholars to investigate the impact of the military on the political and civil system. During a first phase works concentrated on the 'classical' issues. The main question was whether the political sphere controls the military sphere,
Several scholars view the military to be a most forceful institution in constructing images of masculinity in society at large. Usually, military service can be described as a rite of passage to male adulthood, teaching toughness, and trying to eliminate what is regarded to be effeminate. Israel serves as an interesting case study to investigate the connections between gender and the military. Although participation in the military is compulsory for Jewish men and women and motivation to serve in the military is high, meaning that the military socializes most Jewish Israelis, this national duty is highly gendered. The author discusses the historical background of the Israeli Jewish ideal of manliness, its reinforcement by times of conflict and war, and its impact on the private and the public sphere.
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