For some reason you're thinking of the IDF as dealing exclusively with the Palestinian people, but that's really not the case.

@mimikyu- Congrats, you are demonstrating an admirable courage and conviction on your part just by being willing to share this very personal conundrum. No other country lives in a perpetual state of war hemmed in on all sides, as you do. So outsiders opinions count for very little now. You sound like a very level headed young man. Since you are the only one who will face the consequences of your actions as a citizen, family member and human being, your future peace of mind likely rests on only you deciding what the correct move for you will be. All the Best! CMS

Moral dilemmas are not about right and wrong, they are about a clash of two rights. In this case, protecting your country vs not harming others. Which outweighs which is not an objective or general decision, it depends on how you rank your moral values in this particular situation. Reaction of your community is also a valid consideration, since you value relationships with them too, you shouldn't feel guilty about counting it in. But in the end, it is a matter of personal judgment. We can not make it for you, I am afraid.

@Gordon gave the Parsifal myth in an adjacent question (Thanks Gordon). Maybe it helps you?

@Rusi I just found that not long ago. I knew the general story, but was in a conversation with a young relative of mine online, and I needed it, and found that wonderful exposition and analysis.

Re your moral conflict,... On Oct 13, 1943, poet and Jehovah's Witness Robert Lowell was sentenced to a year in New York's West Street jail for evading the draft. There he met Murder Inc's Louis ("Czar") Lepke, who mentioned, "I'm in jail for killing somebody, why are you here?" Lowell replied, "I'm in jail for refusing to kill anybody."

But Geoffrey Thomas is spot on with Sartre. My regards to the OP. These are such difficult questions. Perhaps there is a not-combat, non-policing job. Not perfect but perhaps an acceptable compromise.

It may be best for you to serve, and in your own way be a force for good inside the service. I dont mean be a radical, but in small ways, be a wise force for good. My 2 cents.

You can serve in a noncombatant role? Engineers, medical corpse, etc. Be aware though that in the military you follow orders, there is little room to make a positive change from inside (not impossible). As for political objections, those are best addressed by political actions like voting.

You can sign up as a medic. Also, the medic training will be useful when you return to civilian life. [Not professional advice, this is philosophy.]

In the first world war (in the UK) conscientious objectors could serve on the front as ambulance drivers, which was a very dangerous job indeed. They often won medals for bravery under fire.

"if I don’t serve I will be preventing unjustified harm towards Palestinians" How? It will still happen.

Would serving in a non-fronline position be objectionable to you?

I am not in a country that has compulsory service, and our country is perfectly fine despite all the threats, if that helps. On the other hand, I do think our country SHOULD have mandatory service, because these days all the kids are turning into lazy spoilt brats who couldn't run 50metres without collapsing and prefer to spend their lives on facebook and instagram drinking sugar water and masturbating themselves to exhaustion

@CharlesMSaunders Do we know the OP is a man?

@CharlesMSaunders, how is the OP's sex relevant to the question?

Isn't this question way off-topic for this site?

"[...] if I serve I’m contributing towards unjustified harm towards Palestinians (even if I don't serve in a combat role, I would still be indirectly contributing to unjustified harm)" An argument could be made that the same reasoning applies to all Israeli citizens, not just the ones serving in the military (given that the IDF is taxpayer-funded, if I'm not mistaken). It's just a matter of degree.

Not sure this is a philosophical answer, but let's think for a minute about what happens to a military that may be called upon to do morally gray things if all the young people who have deep moral qualms about that kind of stuff can find ways to avoid joining. What restrains it now?

@Sentinel Heavens, this sounds like the End Times!

@Sentinel - You just described some of the people I worked with when I was in the military. I was in a secret branch of the Navy, and there were people who went to work stoned every day..

@DavidBlomstrom There is something to be said for an elite group of stoners. I did hear once that the word assassin originates from a cult called the hashishin, who lived a live of bliss under the influence until their time came to go out and kill.... But a nation of fat f*cks is somethin else, man.

@Sentinel - Amen. But if you reformed all those fucks, who would enlist in the military?

@DavidBlomstrom depends what country I guess. sometimes I think the reason behind all the US conflicts is some way of justifying their ridiculous domestic social situation and cleaning out the riff-raff..... convert the human refuse to 'veteran' status and at least give them some excuse for being worthless cripples. I think some people are just born to be soldiers, and that should be enough.

Do you believe that the IDF is only defensive? Does your answer give any clarity regarding your choice?