Assesses the place of nonmilitary national service in Israeli politics and society.All citizens in a democracy are promised the same guaranteed rights but should they have the same obligations Should minorities with different attitudes toward the state be obliged to do national service in the name of equality And what are the social and political consequences for minorities not given the opportunity to serve This groundbreaking study examines civic nonmilitary national service in Israel from independence until today focusing on the controversies that ensued as the ethos of Israeli citizenship evolved from republican to liberal. Civic national service for religious girls was instituted in 1971 on a voluntary basis while remaining closed to others. After 2000 the program gradually extended to youth unsuitable for military service Haredim ultraOrthodox and Arabs.