Israel said on Tuesday it was stepping up efforts to encourage military enlistment by Christian Arab citizens, a community long closer to the larger Muslim minority in identifying with the Palestinians.
Israel's Christian Arabs number about 160,000, some 2 percent of the Jewish state's 8 million people, and the expected number of conscripts — now about 100 — will rise in coming months, a senior military officer said.
"We intend to appeal to the Christian population of conscription age (17 and 18) and will send them call-up notices to volunteer for service," Lt. Col. Amir Hai told reporters in a telephone briefing Tuesday.