ANALYSIS OF THE EXPERIENCE OF FORMING MILITARY LEGISLATION ON MILITARY SERVICE IN THE ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17721/2519-481X/2025/88-10Keywords:
military legislation, military service, mobilization, reserve, social guarantees, sunset clauses, alternative service, parliamentary oversight, IDF, military justice, Ukraine, comparative analysisAbstract
Abstract. The article presents a comprehensive analysis of Israel's experience in shaping military legislation concerning compulsory military service, with the aim of identifying its potential applicability to the reform of Ukraine's regulatory and legal framework in this domain. Based on an interdisciplinary approach incorporating methods of comparative legal analysis, normative modeling, and structural assessment of defense legislation, the study outlines the key principles of the personnel policy of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), particularly regarding general conscription, reserve service, social compensatory mechanisms, gender integration, and judicial and parliamentary oversight. The article examines the current Israeli legal framework governing military service, including the IDF Service Law, amendments adopted in 2024-2025, judicial rulings of the Supreme Court of Israel, and Knesset decisions related to extending service terms and enhancing reserve participation. Several practical cases are synthesized, such as the establishment of specialized units for religious groups, mechanisms for income loss compensation, the implementation of digital registries of reservists’ skills, and the automation of reimbursements by the National Insurance Institute. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of legal instruments aimed at maintaining mobilization resilience and ensuring the social legitimacy of military service under prolonged armed conflict. A comparative legal analysis of Ukrainian and Israeli military legislation reveals several regulatory gaps in Ukraine, including the absence of a consolidated framework law, lack of fixed service terms for mobilized personnel, an unstable system of benefits for reservists, the absence of a wartime alternative service mechanism, and the lack of an independent oversight body. Based on the analysis, the authors argue for the relevance of adapting key components of the Israeli model—such as digital platforms, social guarantees, dual parliamentary and judicial oversight, and gender integration standards. The article concludes that Israel's experience in military legislation demonstrates a high level of regulatory flexibility, operational adaptability to changing security environments, a balance between general civic duty and social compensation, and resilience amidst political challenges. The Ukrainian model can be effectively transformed through legislative unification, the implementation of strategic personnel planning, institutional consistency, and the strengthening of democratic oversight mechanisms.
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