October 23, 2023

Escaping the Draft – in Israel


Escaping the Draft – in Israel
Israeli APCs near the border with Gaza. Sparkle, Twitter.

Russian citizens living in Israel have requested the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Tel-Aviv to evacuate them to Russia, so that they can avoid being drafted by the Israeli military. However, Russia is also at war and is recruiting its male citizens.

After Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a state of war. Israel drafted a record 300,000 reservists for an impending ground offensive on the Gaza Strip. Many Russian-Israeli dual citizens were among the recruits.

Over a million people from the former Soviet Union reside in Israel, and over 37,000 Russian citizens arrived at Ben-Gurion airport after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Among the emigres were men avoiding the draft.

The Russian government has introduced an electronic draft notification that can reach citizens abroad who are registered with the military. Refusing to enlist can lead to severe consequences, including the inability to register or sell properties and prohibition from driving a vehicle inside Russia. Citizens summoned to the army who return to Russia are banned from leaving the country again. Consequences for refusing enlistment can include imprisonment.

You Might Also Like

Endless February
  • April 28, 2023

Endless February

One year on, the Russian language is changing, imbued with Newspeak and Aesopian diversions.
Russia Reacts to Gaza War
  • October 16, 2023

Russia Reacts to Gaza War

400 Russians asked to be evacuated from Gaza as Israel ordered the evacuation of 1.1 million people.
  • August 15, 2023

"I Am Horrified"

The founder of Russian tech giant Yandex publicly condemns the War on Ukraine.
Wanted for a Lullaby
  • April 05, 2023

Wanted for a Lullaby

Moscow police have threatened a known comedian with arrest after he released an anti-war song about murdered Russian soldiers.
Where Are the Actors?
  • January 24, 2023

Where Are the Actors?

The Ministry of Culture began inspecting Moscow theaters after a famous actor made an obliquely anti-war statement in an interview.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955