Sunday marked the beginning of the IDF November 2009 draft and according to statistics published by the IDF, the motivation of the recruits has reached a peak for the past decade - 73 percent of the recruits asked to serve in combat units as opposed to 67 percent last year.
The following video features IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi accompanied by members of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee as they came to "Bakum", the IDF induction center at Tel HaShomer to meet the new recruits.
"Without people of quality, determined and full of faith in the rightness of the way and in the need to serve and protect the State of Israel, we will not have a quality army. And now it's your turn to serve," said Ashkenazi "You will meet trainers and commanders with remarkable experience during operational activities and training. Make use of your time in the army in order to learn, improve, and get to know each other, and most important of all – act with the understanding of why we're doing what we're doing – and when it needs to be done, do it the best."
The Chief of Staff also addressed the current threats facing Israel: "It could very much be that during your service we will need to deal with some of the challenges that we're seeing around us. From my experience, and that's all I have more than you – experience, [while] in other fields I believe you're better than I am -- from my experience, the results are determined by those who are on the front lines."
During the visit, the Chief of Staff made sure to stop and say hello to the "Dodot", the "Aunties." many of them senior citizens, who are volunteers and are scattered throughout the country offering soldiers sandwiches and cold drinks.
At the end of the visit, the Knesset members were surprised with a special souvenir prepared for them by the IDF representatives, decorative framed pictures with portraits of the MKs taken during their own service in the army.