I think people who published letters about not going to the service are volunteers (who previously served), not objectors to mandatory service. As others said, this seems be to vicious reaction of the “old guard” who lost their influence and are afraid that majority of the country goes in a different direction from theirs, so they created this hysteria and others, unfortunately, followed.
The fact is, Israel had five elections on a row where these issues were debated, and a finally formed majority are following up on what they were elected upon.