Free Republic

The front-page headline in the Sunday Nov. 7 edition of the Washington Post paints a grim picture of the IDF -- "Israel's military faces loss in recruits, status -- Growing number of exempt citizens, recent scandals are among the reasons cited."  The lengthy article, by Jerusalem correspondent Janine Zacharia, jumps to an inside page with an equally gloomy headline -- "Israeli military grapples with decline in recruits, loss of status." Zacharia's first half dozen paragraphs on the front page are in sync with the headline's negative assessments of the IDF -- Growing numbers of young Israelis are avoiding conscription, military planners worry...