What role does the military play in Israeli schools?

For Israeli teenagers, military life ordinarily kicks off in school. You dress up like you play soldier. You do the push-ups and you wear the uniform. That's like the highlight of high school. That's like everyone is so thrilled for that. But for some, that relationship starts much earlier. Even from kindergarten, it starts sometimes like all the brothers come and they're all soldiers with weapons and uniforms, and everybody's like, oh my God, look, they're soldiers, such bravery. And these Israeli students say their education system doesn't just prepare young people for compulsory military service. It helps normalise the violence carried out in its name, something that Bar experienced first-hand at high school after he, along with a group of teens, was filmed burning his military draft notice. That protest got really, really public, and it got to my high school. It was very clear that it isn't a safe space for me. A bunch of 12th graders caught me, one from behind me in my throat, like, pulling me down, spraying me with stuff. And Bar says the abuse continued, but his teachers did nothing to protect him. They don't wish to stand up for me. They don't agree with me. They think I brought it on myself. I had to enter school by climbing the back gate. Every time I went in the building, I got yelled at or spit at or cornered by a bunch of teens telling me how much they want to kill babies. Eventually, Bar had to stop attending school and was unable to get his diploma. No action was taken against the teenagers who attacked him. And as Israeli governments have moved further right, policies have only strengthened the military's role in schools. In 2012, Israel added high student enlistment rates to the criteria for teachers receiving financial bonuses. Programs placing uniformed soldiers in schools have also expanded, with thousands serving in educational roles. And in 2018, a bill backed by far-right politician, Bezalel Smotrich, allowed the Education Minister to stop groups critical of the Israeli military speaking in schools. Put aside the concentration camps and the education system, and stay within the concentration camps. Finish high school, go to the army, and go to university. They see it, everybody follows it but some students say change has to start by giving israeli school children the space to question a path they've been taught is inevitable i want i want to see teens ask themselves if they should go to the army or not we need to humanize humans this is not a game