8 percent of new IDF recruits have a criminal record

Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz, 19.11.07 The IDF is adopting measures aimed at preventing the downward spiral in the number of dropouts and rejected conscripts. According to data from the Human Resources Directorate of the army, 18 percent of conscripts drop out during their first year in the IDF and as many as 28 percent of youth eligible for conscription are exempt each year. Most of those who gain exemptions do so for religious reasons, but there are also those who suffer psychological problems, and others who have substantial criminal records. Another problem the IDF has been addressing stems from the fact that as many as 8 percent of each year's conscripts have a criminal record. A decade ago the numbers were approximately 2 percent. As many as 70 percent of conscripts with criminal records do finish their military service. A senior IDF officer explained to Haaretz yesterday that the minute a teenager with a criminal record is conscripted, his background is kept a secret, also from his commanding officers. "He joins the military and no one knows about his past and he comes in clean. We allow him to carry out his military service in the best way, depending on his level of motivation," the officer said.

He also said that every year the IDF files hundreds of requests with the president, asking to do away with the criminal records of soldiers who completed their military service without any major disciplinary problems.

"There is a proposal that we are evaluating at this time to automatically erase all criminal records who complete their full military service," the officer said.