I really need some help.

[Mouthwash]

I've been rejected for conscription in the IDF because the psychiatrist thinks the Asperger's diagnosis I received as a child means that there is something wrong with me. Never mind that I've been examined very recently and been recommended for enlistment, he thinks that even though I probably don't have Asperger's, there must be something wrong with me because in the past I've had trouble socially. Of course I have no such problems now, but it's not as if he's going to risk his job in the face of anything less than perfection.

There has to be something wrong with this, some way that I can appeal. I have no idea of the Israeli legal process and I'm not sure if I could just write a letter to someone. I can definitely prove that there is nothing psychologically wrong with me. I just have no idea where to turn, no idea how to do anything, and have no allies whatsoever. I feel like I'm going to explode if I can't talk to anyone, or get some idea of what to do.

 

[IglooDame]

The only advice I could give you is to start some intensive internet research on who to escalate to. I helped run a MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) here in the US, and we had a really good doctor who'd been doing recruit medical exams for a few decades so recruiters didn't even try to oppose/second-guess his findings, but there WAS an escalation process.

Beyond that, you have my sympathy.

 

[Mouthwash]

The only advice I could give you is to start some intensive internet research on who to escalate to. I helped run a MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) here in the US, and we had a really good doctor who'd been doing recruit medical exams for a few decades so recruiters didn't even try to oppose/second-guess his findings, but there WAS an escalation process.

Don't know Hebrew. Where would I even begin anyway? How would someone have gone about "escalating" from your experience?

 

[useless]

Maybe the IDF isn't for you?

 

[El_Machinae]

If you think the doctor knows he's only saving his own skin, just go and ask him who you could appeal to? Drs should know the process for over-riding them.

If he's reticient, just mention that you'll report his reticience when you DO find the person you're supposed to appeal to. But, I doubt strong-arm tactics are required.

 

[Mouthwash]

If you think the doctor knows he's only saving his own skin, just go and ask him who you could appeal to? Drs should know the process for over-riding them.

If he's reticient, just mention that you'll report his reticience when you DO find the person you're supposed to appeal to. But, I doubt strong-arm tactics are required.

No, he evaded the issue by claiming it had been decided previously and that the decision was 'final.' Which I do not believe.

I need some other way of doing this. I could contact a legal expert, but that is probably complicated, given that I can't pay and don't speak the language all that well.

 

[El_Machinae]

You should email one more time. Get it in writing he's being reticent.

 

[Tee Kay]

Count your lucky stars you were not conscripted?

I'm sure you can do your patriotic duty some other way. Being a soldier is by no means the only way to serve your country.

 

[bhavv]

You should email one more time. Get it in writing he's being reticent.

I learnt a new word!

 

[Mouthwash]

Count your lucky stars you were not conscripted?

I'm sure you can do your patriotic duty some other way. Being a soldier is by no means the only way to serve your country.

Still, it's pretty much what I want to do.

 

[Tee Kay]

Look for pathways to a career in the armaments industry.

 

[Borachio]

It's not nice being refused entry to a door you're deliberately knocking at.

But really military service is overrated. At the worst you get to kill someone, and at best you get killed yourself.

Don't you have any higher ambitions?

 

[Mouthwash]

The only advice I could give you is to start some intensive internet research on who to escalate to.

Dude, this doesn't help me if I don't even know what to type into Google.

 

[Borachio]

It's a good question. It's not immediately apparent what one would put into Google for such a specific thing.

Anyway, amusingly, I stumbled on this:

http://aliyahsurvivalblog.com/home/the-army/

hey, im planning on doing army as well, but only the 6 months necessary..i was wondering about army life but on a different level.
do they help you with rent for an apartment? with bills you have in israel? transportation? and what should your answers be in order to get as much money as possible?

By: Harel Kraiem on October 15, 2011
at 7:57 pm

Reply


You already sound like a veteran Israeli – trying to get as much money out of the State of Israel as possible! With this attitude you will certainly succeed in Israel. As a lone soldier you will be allotted a certain amount for apartment rent. About 5 years ago, the lone soldier salary for a jobnik was about 4,000 NIS. If you want to get more money, then you can be in kravi. Transportation is like all the other soldiers – public buses. Best of luck!

I think your best bet is to sue the IDF for every sheckel they have.

 

[Mouthwash]

It's a good question. It's not immediately apparent what one would put into Google for such a specific thing.

Anyway, amusingly, I stumbled on this:

http://aliyahsurvivalblog.com/home/the-army/



I think your best bet is to sue the IDF for every sheckel they have.

How? I can't expect my parents to support me at all, and I don't have money for a lawyer. I'm not even sure I have a case- I'm pretty sure you can't sue for wrongful exemption.

 

[Borachio]

Can't you get legal aid in Israel? Or maybe you could find a lawyer to take your case pro bono.

But your case is really strange. Mostly people are only too happy to escape conscription when they can. Otherwise there'd be no call for conscription at all.

 

[warpus]

I've been rejected for conscription in the IDF because the psychiatrist thinks the Asperger's diagnosis I received as a child means that there is something wrong with me

....

There has to be something wrong with this, some way that I can appeal.

Are you an Israeli citizen living elsewhere? Is there an embassy or something you could go to for advice? There's got to be an IDF recruitment guidelines PDF or something similar somewhere, outlining the exact procedures and bureaucracy built up around the process.

Btw, I'm curious how someone who doesn't speak the language would work out in their army. How would that work out exactly? Isn't that a requirement too? I'm assuming not, but I don't get how that'd work.

 

[Mouthwash]

Btw, I'm curious how someone who doesn't speak the language would work out in their army. How would that work out exactly? Isn't that a requirement too? I'm assuming not, but I don't get how that'd work.

I'll learn. I've had higher priority things to do until now.

 

[warpus]

Yeah, but I mean, if I wanted to sign up for the Canadian military but spoke 0 French or English, they'd turn me away. It seems that the IDF doesn't do this. They allow people to join with no knowledge of the language and learn as they go? I find that interesting - seems like you'd want every single conscript to be able to communicate with everybody else starting from day 1 - so I'm a bit curious how exactly they get everyone up to speed and such.

 

[IglooDame]

Don't know Hebrew. Where would I even begin anyway? How would someone have gone about "escalating" from your experience?

In my own experience, it would be the recruiter going up his chain of command, which would go through channels to USMEPCOM's medical standards chief, who would go down the chain of command to the individual MEPS. I've never worked in a conscription-based service, the closest I got to it was reviewing the Selective Service call-up plans annually. So, not very helpful for you.

It does seem like not knowing Hebrew would be a serious detriment serving in the IDF, though. I don't think you'll get much effective help on CFC OT - maybe an English-language friends-of-IDF web forum or something like that?