Everyone Serves — Models, Athletes, Tech CEOs
Mandatory service means exactly that — everyone. Gal Gadot served as a combat fitness instructor before becoming Wonder Woman. Bar Refaeli's draft controversy made international headlines. Tech founders, Olympic athletes, and runway models all share the same basic training experience. In Israel, your military service is the great equalizer. It doesn't matter who your parents are or what you plan to do afterward.
This creates a unique social fabric where a future software CEO trained alongside a future restaurant owner, and both can swap boot camp stories over dinner. The connections made during military service form networks that drive Israeli business, politics, and culture for decades. It's one reason Israel produces more startups per capita than almost any other country — the military creates bonds and skills that translate directly into entrepreneurial partnerships.
