Israel is a nation of immigrants. Since its establishment in 1948, millions of Jews have made Israel their home. To this day, they come to start new lives and to defend their state.
The defenders are a genuine citizen army largely made up of conscripts and reservists. New immigrant males between the ages of 21 and 36 undergo accelerated military training for one hundred days. They are then classed as reservists and required to do up to one month's military service a year.
Being called up to serve in the army is a major headache for many of the new immigrants - being taken away from family, jobs and their lives to join the army is not something many of them had counted on. Daily terrorist attacks and the possibility of missile strikes from Iraq leave the new recruits worried. Today's Israel is not an ideal place to be doing your first stint in the army.
Ben Evansky was given unprecedented access by the Israeli army to film their accelerated army service for new immigrants, known as "Shlav Bet." The film focuses on five of the recruits who came to Israel from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, England and Russia. They are filmed for their entire 100 day service from basic training to their first mission; guarding an isolated settlement on the West Bank.
