[Avodah] IDF Conversions

[Hankman]

RSM wrote on Areivim:
> He [RSM's Rav] cited the concept of "zera Yisrael", of partial Jewish
> parentage, as a relevant factor in establishing the validity of the
> conversion process in question, in accordance with authoritative halachic
> opinions. Almost all IDF converts fall into this category.

While the concept of "zera Yisrael," of partial Jewish parentage is
not new to me (the most famous of such is an odious one from WWII so I
won't go there.) I know, some in kiruv find a special imperative to be
"mekarev" such "zera Yisrael" to geirus. But I know of no such halachic
notion for consideration in geirus. I would appreciate any broadening of
my horizons in this regard that anyone can offer from sifrei rishonim,
achronim or tshuvot. Did you ask your Rav the source for this point of
view? If he could clarify the basis of the idea that would be great. Is
this another demographic, social etc. reason to follow the meikil as we
have heard before? Or is there some hidden mystical notion at play here
of retrieving some sort of "hidden kedusha" in the "zera Yisrael"?

Kol Tuv
Chaim Manaster