World Stories: Muslims Fighting For Israel

"You get verbal and violent abuse. Some people have relatives in the countries where we go and fight. It's difficult, no one understands how hard it is." Maher is Muslim and he was a soldier with the Israeli army for three years.

He says he needed an income and working for the Israeli Defense Force would, he hoped, be a steady job and give him opportunities for the future.

But this choice came at a price, he was branded a traitor. He's since left the army and now tends to his family's goats.

It's not compulsory for Muslims to do army service in Israel but according to the IDF hundreds of Muslims sign up every year.

Rachid Sekkai from the BBC's Arabic Service talks to Muslims currently serving in the IDF and also to former soldiers and hears about the conflicts they face, at home and on duty, and the pride that military service sometimes brings them.

Israel's Muslim Soldiers is part of the World Stories series. These are five individual documentaries made by BBC language service producers about the region they come from.