Like many Israeli youths, G, as he is referred to, dreamed of becoming a pilot in the Israeli air force. The 18-year-old not only attained the high marks in school that are a prerequisite for acceptance as an air force cadet but took private flying lessons and was duly licensed.
When he received a letter last week from the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) expressing regret he could not be accepted on a cadet course, G had reason to believe the rejection had nothing to do with his qualifications but with his identity.
He is an Israeli Arab.
Israeli Arabs, who constitute 20 per cent of the population, are exempt from military service so as not to confront them, and the state, with the dilemma of split loyalties to the Jewish state or to their fellow Arabs across the border.
Exceptions to this rule are the Druze, an offshoot Islamic sect, whose members participate fully in the IDF and have reached the rank of general, and Bedouin who serve primarily as trackers.
Among the mainstream Arab Muslim population, only a few have volunteered to serve in the IDF over the years. G's family is among those who see no conflict between their identities as Arabs and Israelis.