Defence Service Law – Consolidated Version 5746-1986

The Defence Service Law – Consolidated Version of 1986 outlines the framework for mandatory military service in Israel. Under this law, every Israeli citizen is required to enlist for military service upon reaching the age of 18.

Initially, discrepancies between the Jewish and Gregorian calendars could have led to certain situations in which individuals who were between 17.5 and 18 years old were enlisted. However, after Israel signed the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (CRC-OP-AC), the Knesset amended the law in 2004. This amendment ensured that mandatory enlistment could only take place once a person reaches the age of 18, aligning domestic law with international commitments to prevent the involvement of minors in armed conflict. In 2010, it was legislated that, in accordance with the Israeli practice, the age of a person will be determined in accordance with the Jewish calendar.

The law still permits voluntary enlistment at the age of 17, provided that the individual has parental or guardian consent. According to State official submissions to the CRC-OP-AC, such voluntary enlistment cannot take place before the age of 17.5, and in such cases, minors are restricted to non-combat roles, including training, academic studies, and similar activities, safeguarding them from direct involvement in military operations.