The Pain Inside




Al Jazeera World show

Summary: In Israel, military service is compulsory for most people over the age of 18, with men serving three years and women two. Exemption from military service is a hotly debated issue in Israeli society. Many feel that military service is a matter of family obligation and loyalty to their 'homeland'. For some, joining the army is about the connections they make. For many, life in Israel - with its military conscription and occupation - is turning young people into what one Israeli interviewee describes as “monsters in a distorted reality”, revealing deep psychological issues which remain unaddressed. The film reveals this agitation in Israel, at times manifesting itself through exodus, which is the very opposite of the Zionist dream.