A new refuser initiative, AniSiravti, stories of resistance | Refuser Solidarity Network

I am excited to introduce you to an initiative that is not just close to my heart, but one that Refuser Solidarity Network is supporting as it resonates deeply with the experiences of many of us in the organization, as people who refused their military service. AniSiravti, “I refused” in Hebrew, is a resistance initiative, a community, and a collection of testimonies from Israeli men and women who choose to refuse their mandatory reserve duty, as a political and public act of resistance to the occupation and the war on Gaza.

You can sign up to create a monthly donation to support the Refuser Solidarity Network and our work with new initiatives like AniSiravti here. Monthly donations give us the stability we need to plan our work: ampflying and supporting activists in Israel.

Tom Mehagar, the founder of the project, an activist, a partner, and a father, was sentenced to four weeks in military prison in 2003, due to his refusal to serve as a reserve soldier. Like most Israelis and Palestinians in the land, he woke up with his partner and daughter in Tel Aviv to a number of sirens. Just a few hours later he was watching the horrific massacre in the south and already posting on Facebook about his predictions and fears of another severe military operation, that was yet to come, in Gaza. He writes:

Tom Mehager

“I began to question the morality and logic of the occupation after I served my full military service. During my mandatory reserve duty, I served as the commander of an artillery unit at a roadblock in the West Bank. Once I understood the main purpose of my work there was to harass and humiliate Palestinians passing through, I decided I did not want to be a part of this inhumane military system and refused to continue to serve. 

Israel is instilling a military dictatorship on the Palestinian people, committing human rights violations, collective punishment, and a siege on Gaza. At the onset of the war a few refusers and I thought about creating a platform for refusers to collectively declare their decision to refuse. Although we have been dismissed from reserve duty, we are using this platform to take  a moral stance. To proclaim - we refused in the past and would refuse again today, even after the seventh. People need to hear our voices and know that we believe there must be red lines in Israeli society. What is happening today in Gaza is horrifying and we don’t believe this level of killing and hunger will bring anyone safety, or the hostages back.”

I’d like to share with you Yonatan Shapira’s testimony, a fellow refuser from the project:

“We conducted targeted and intentional killings and murders of civilians. At first I tried to explain it to myself in different ways…I didn't have direct contact with the acts of killing, I was a search and rescue pilot. But at some point I was able to understand that it doesn't matter much whether I am doing the “clean job” or the less terrible one and a pilot in another squadron shoots in the middle of the night and slaughters an entire family. These things horrified me and quite a few other pilots in the air force at that time.. a letter was organized later known as the pilot’s letters… We declared that we refuse to continue to be a part of the oppression and occupation and the murder of innocent people. This was 21 years ago and we were talking about isolated incidents here and there, one, two, ten, fifteen, twenty people, some children here, some children there. Today when Israel carries out a genocide in Gaza on full scale, with around thirty thousand murdered, over ten thousand children, who knows how many thousands lying under the ruble, some dead, some slowly dying from hunger and injuries, it’s clear that I would also refuse today.”

These stories of resistance need to be heard and AniSiravti has the power to bring them to light. Please help us with a monthly donation plan to sustain our work, and build and support this new community of reserve duty war resisters. You can donate here

In solidarity, 

Maya Eshel 

International Solidarity Coordinator 

Refuser Solidarity Network

Biden: War resisters say stop the destruction of Gaza

It has been 142 days of the war in Gaza, and I am afraid the reality is growing increasingly dire. There are still over 100 Israeli hostages captive in Gaza. Over 28,000 Palestinians have been killed, approximately 1.4 million Palestinians have been displaced and are currently crammed in over-crowded makeshift tent cities near the Rafah border crossing. Everyday I wake up to more news that Israel's blockade on international aid is severely limiting humanitarian assistance and medical aid, leaving 2.3 million people facing food and water shortages in unhygienic conditions. In addition, everyday Israeli leaders continue the war on Gaza, they are putting the lives of Israelis and hostages at risk. Sign this petition demanding Biden stop the war on Gaza. 

While the Israeli government continues to send soldiers into Gaza, attacking hospitals and enclosing millions of Gazans into the southern point of the Strip, some of those most affected by the Hamas assault on October 7th are actively resisting the assault on Gaza. 

Maoz Inon, the son of Bilha Inon and Yacovi Inon, both killed by Hamas on October 7th, has since declared himself a peace and anti-war activist. A few weeks ago, I attended an anti-war rally where Inon said: 

 “To the American administration, and to the government of Germany, please don’t send us military aid, send us reconciliation aid. Send us initiative aid. Send us peace aid. We want peace, not war. Your unlimited support in Hague, in the UN Security Council, in the Israeli government. That is dehumanizing and oppressing, not just the Palestinians in Gaza and in the West Bank, they are … oppressing [the] freedom of speech, the freedom of gathering, the freedom of protesting, the voices of peace here in Israel.”

I agree wholeheartedly with Maoz Inon when he urges world leaders to listen to the voices of the families who Israel claims to be waging this war for - people who know the profound toll of upholding the occupation, apartheid and the ongoing war on Gaza. People who want true justice, safety and lasting peace for all living between the Jordan river and the Mediterranean sea. You can amplify their voices by signing this petition

Refuser Solidarity Network has created a petition asking Biden to stop the war on Gaza. We demand Biden: 

“1. Publicly call for, and take action towards, an immediate ceasefire, followed by humanitarian aid and release of all hostages and prisoners.

2. Condition continued aid to Israel on concrete steps to end the occupation of the Palestinian people and bring about a political solution to the conflict.”

Currently the United States is not listening to Inon’s and other war resisters' pleas, as the US Senate just passed a bill allocating $14 billion in military aid to Israel. It is time you and I stand in solidarity with Palestinians and Israeli war resisters, and urge President Biden to find the moral courage to stop contributing to this horrific war on Gaza and work towards a better future.

You can sign the petition by clicking here

Thank you for your support and solidarity,

Maya Eshel

International Solidarity Coordinator

Refuser Solidarity Network

Support a ceasefire of the war on Gaza today

My name is Maya Eshel, I just joined the Refuser Solidarity Network team as the international solidarity coordinator. I want to share a few words about myself and also tell you how you can amplify the voices of Israelis against the war on Gaza and call for a ceasefire.

I moved to Israel at the age of 16 and six months later I was already sent an initial draft order from the Israeli military. About two years later I was drafted into the Israeli military where I served in the West Bank for 9 months. During my time there I witnessed several detained Palestinians being brought to the detention center on my base. While waiting for the military doctor one day, a young Palestinian boy was escorted into the clinic. In the middle of winter he had just one long sleeve shirt on. He was blindfolded and handcuffed and could not have been over 11 years old. This very moment, sitting just centimeters away from a boy who could not see me, who was alone and was kidnapped from his community, stayed with me. 

Over the years I would often think of this boy. I would think about the trauma he may have from those exact moments and my participation in such a brutal system. I looked deeper into myself, into my environment and at the violent occupation that we as a society here in Israel have normalized. After educating myself and learning about the supremacist policies Israel uses to uphold an oppressive military rule over millions of Palestinians, I decided to work in resistance to the occupation and apartheid. 

My solidarity work led me to living in Palestinian villages in the Southern Hebron Hills, located in area C of the West Bank, documenting demolitions and settler and military violence against Palestinians. I witnessed settlers violently abuse and threaten Palestinians, uproot hundreds of olive trees, dance with guns on stolen Palestinian land while the military was standing by. I also witnessed soldiers tasked to demolish homes, abuse small farming communities, and arrest men in the middle of the night. 

Since I started visiting the South Hebron Hills the situation has escalated tenfold. The horrors of October 7th have shaken the Israeli ethos to its core.  And with no time to grieve, the Israeli government is weaponizing our pain, enacting a revenge war on Gazans, killing thousands of civilians and displacing over one million people.

 Today, more than ever, we need to resist the war from the bottom up and we need to do this together. Please help us amplify Israeli voices who resist the government's violent manipulation of our pain. Please watch and help spread messages of Israelis protesting this war from our various social media platforms. 

Twitter: https://x.com/againstwarvoice?s=20

TickTock: https://www.tiktok.com/@voices.against.war

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/voicesagainstwar/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/refusersn


Thank you for your support. 

In solidarity,

Maya Eshel

International Solidarity Coordinator 

Refuser Solidarity Network 



You can help the Israeli war resistance movement at this critical time

To an outside observer, Israeli public debate appears solid. There seems to be an overwhelming consensus supporting an open-ended war on the Palestinians of Gaza in revenge for the horrors of October 7. The reality is different. Many Israelis, including some directly impacted by the Hamas attack, believe that there is no military solution and that the only way out of this terrible situation is an immediate ceasefire followed by prisoner exchange. They want to speak out, but are hard pressed to find a stage. That’s why we established Voices Against War, which we told you about in our last update.

Since the outbreak of the war, an active anti war movement has come together in Israel, composed of a variety of individuals and groups. Our Israeli partners in the struggle against the occupation are central to this movement, and all of them have intensified their war resistance actions. Organizing these activities is harder now than ever: A crackdown on dissent is in progress, and arrests of nonviolent protesters are a daily occurrence.

Alongside amplification of their voices on social media, our role at Refuser Solidarity Network (RSN) is to provide support for our partners in the anti war movement. We help fund the logistical needs of protest organizers, from transport to the printing of signs and banners. In addition, we support an array of specialized activities designed to make the most of our partners’ experience and expertise. Here are a few examples:

  • Since the outbreak of the Gaza War, conscientious objectors have been denied access to even the limited recourse available to them normally. Specialized hotlines have been extremely important in providing legal, emotional, and practical support to hundreds of Israeli war refusers, both reservists and conscripts.

  • High school seniors facing conscription are exposed to a deluge of pro-war propaganda, and a largely one-sided public discourse. War resistance networks create a support structure, supporting acts of personal and group refusal. Activists regularly visit schools, conversing with students and distributing leaflets with an Israeli anti-war message.

  • With the world focused on Gaza, repression and displacement of West Bank Palestinians continues unabated. The threats to some vulnerable communities has actually increased, as settler violence has skyrocketed. In response, anti-occupation activists have intensified the solidarity and protection efforts for partner communities in the southern West Bank. Activists visit as often as possible with material aid, and a hotline works 24-7 to exert pressure on the army to respond to settler attacks.

Now, more than two months since the outbreak of the war, there appears to be no end in sight. Repression of dissent has only increased. More than ever, Israelis working to end the war need your support. I’d like to ask you to help us continue to support our Israeli partners. We’re raising $30,000 for this purpose. Please donate here.

With your help, we can end this war.

In solidarity,

Mattan Helman

Executive director

Refuser Solidarity Network

Help us continue spreading the voices of Israeli war resisters around the world

Atalya here. I began my work with the Refuser Solidarity Network (RSN) a few days after October 7. The first days were overwhelming. Everyone in Israel was in shock. In one day, 1,400 had been killed, thousands injured, and 0ver 200 civilian hostages taken into Gaza. Many of the casualties were women, children, and the elderly. Everybody knew someone. I was no exception: Close friends from one of the Kibbutzim hardest hit on the Gaza border, Beeri, needed me at their side.

It was clear that an unprecedented military response was coming, and that it had no clear aim except revenge. But I knew that, fundamentally, nothing had changed. There is no military solution. I wasn’t alone in this position, even in the confusion of those first days. I found that many were willing to speak out, including among those directly impacted by the attack. They had a clear message: The only way out of this terrible situation is an immediate ceasefire, a prisoner exchange, and ending the Israeli occupation and oppression of the Palestinians.

Very few were hearing these voices, however. The Israeli media discourse, always somewhat jingoistic, was monolithic. Police were framing dissent as support for Hamas, and brutally cracking down on anyone refusing to toe the line. It became clear that one of the best things we at RSN could do to support war resisters was to amplify their voices, and help them build an international support network.

I began canvassing, meeting dissidents on the streets and in their homes, filming their statements and posting them on Voices Against War, a platform we established on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. We’ve exposed hundreds of thousands around the world to an Israeli anti-war message, and many of them have become active supporters, vocally and financially. We need your help to continue this work.

Now, more than two months since the outbreak of the war, there appears to be no end in sight. Repression of dissent has only increased. More than ever, Israelis working to end the war need your support. I’d like to ask you to help me amplify these Voices Against War. We need $30,000 to continue to operate and expand the channel through the first few months of 2024. Please donate here.

With your help, we can reach more people and end this war.

In solidarity,

Atalya Ben Abba

Voices Against War

Refuser Solidarity Network

A Joint Jewish-Arab Declaration For Peace

Dear friends,

As I am writing this letter to you we have experienced more than 57 days of this awful war. The Israeli government and Hamas completed the deal for the release of Israeli hostages, women, and children, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, women and children, and a temporary pause of the fighting in Gaza. We were all relieved to see that both sides heeded the deal, it was an important step, many people could finally hold and hug their loved ones, but it is not enough. A temporary quiet is not enough, this deal does not amount to a political solution for the people of Palestine and Israel.

Currently, the hostage deal has been completed, but we are all unsure of what will happen next. The Israeli prime minister has declared that the war will resume, and a plan for continuing the fighting has been published. Now, it is more important than ever to say clearly that we want an end to this war. It is important to declare a vision of what type of ending we demand, not one of destruction of the other side, but one of peace.

As a vision for the future, I want to share key points from the Declaration for Peace, written by more than 35 Jewish-Arab organizations of human rights activists. Their powerful words are important, especially now:


We - movements, organizations and activists, Jews and Arabs - write these words out of heavy mourning for the thousands of people killed in recent weeks, and out of terrible anxiety for the safety of the abducted and those who will still be harmed in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank.

Precisely in these terrible days, the simple truth is clearer than ever: the freedom, security, and life of all living in this land depend on each other. In memory of the murdered and for the sake of the living, we must act together - Jews and Arabs - for the release of the kidnapped and captives, for the end of the war, for the end of the occupation and the conflict, for peace.

We have all experienced the rounds of violence. Time and time again it is evident that there is no military solution to this conflict, nor can there ever be one. The only way to stop the bloodshed is a political agreement that will guarantee security, justice, and freedom for both nations. There are no winners in war. Only peace will bring security.

Signed:

Mesarvot; Mothers Against Violence; New Profile; Yesh Gvul; Parents Circle Families Forum; Women in Black; Zochrot; And many more


The long list of organizations who have signed this letter are all our allies in creating a better future for this land, ending this era of blood and revenge, and ushering in a new area of peace and justice. Only together can we bring an end to this war, end the occupation, and bring justice to everyone in Israel/Palestine.

Help us support the struggle against the war by reading and sharing the full declaration:

On Twitter

Sign on as part of the declaration on Zazim’s website at this link

With your help, we can reach more people and end this war.

In solidarity

Mattan Helman

Executive director

Refuser solidarity network

Help Us Expose The Right-Wing Policies Responsible For This War

Since the war in Gaza began, we have started a project under the title: “Voices Against War”, whose goal is to amplify and spread the voices of Israelis who oppose the war in Gaza and call for a ceasefire.

This project is based on the belief that in such difficult times, where hopelessness and isolation prevail, it is important to strengthen our network of anti-war solidarity activists and share with the world that there are Israelis who are acting against the war. In times when resistance to the war is often conflated with antisemitism - a dangerous view that supports the silencing of anti-war voices, as being done also by the Israeli government – the voices of Israeli anti-war solidarity activists are important more than ever.

As part of this project, we have created videos, showing anti-war activists who talk about their beliefs and demand a ceasefire. We share with the world the voices of Israelis who have been affected by the war and call for its end, while strongly opposing those who demand revenge. We uplift the voices of those who declare clearly that only peace will bring security and publish these videos and testimonies on our social media pages under the name "Voices Against War".

One such videos is a video of Maoz Inon, who lost both his parents at the October 7th attack. Maoz calls for ending the war in Gaza. Even after his personal loss he still believes in peace and humanity as a way of living, and calls others to join him in opposing the Israeli government. [link to his video].

With the help of many comrades, we have been able to reach a wide audience with such messages. To further spread the fact that the war in Gaza is not in the interest of all Israeli people, on November 15th we released a new video showing the long-running policy of strengthening Hamas over truly protecting Israel’s citizens. We need your help with sharing and circulating this video, so the world could learn about the true policy of Israel's government.

The video reveals and highlights Netanyahu’s involvement and interests in strengthening Hamas and preventing a Palestinian state. Netanyahu is the biggest obstacle to an end to the fighting in Gaza and to the release of the hostages. Our goal is to show that the support of a terror organization is part of the right-wing’s agenda, which was based on a direct target of weakening the Palestinian authority and thus preventing the possibility of a united Palestinian state. The right-wing never wanted to negotiate for peace, all they wished for was to continue the Israeli occupation and oppression of Palestinians.

We implore you to watch the video, in which we bring to the streets of DC the true intentions of Netanyahu, who publicly acted to bolster Hamas and weaken the Palestinian Authorities. Please, help us show Netanyahu's true face, by sharing the video and by following our pages:

Watch on Twitter at this link

Watch in Instagram at this link

Watch on Facebook at this link

With your help, we can reach more people and expose the right-wing agenda that led us to this horrible war.

In solidarity,

Atalya

Refuser Solidarity Network

Persecution Of Jewish And Arab Peace Activists By Israeli Government Is Getting Worse

In the past few weeks, the Jewish Arab war resistance movement is experiencing one of its hardest and most terrifying moments – perhaps the worst it has been in at least a generation. You can help us support their activities here.

On October 25th, police shut down an Arab-Jewish meeting in the Israeli city of Haifa, the main subject of which was calling for resistance to the war and the harming of innocents. An activist was arrested in Jerusalem for having a sign on his balcony that read “No sanctity in an occupied city.” A right-wing mob attacked left-wing Journalist, Israel Frey, in his home, from which he had to be evacuated by police forces. In Jerusalem, police brutally dispersed a silent assembly for the return of the abductees. In addition to these events, attacks online towards left-wing activists are becoming worse, with right-wing groups publishing addresses of prominent activists online. All of this, of course, is happening as, any of us, both Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, have grieved significant losses in recent weeks, the deaths of many loved ones. Now more than ever it is dangerous to raise your voice against the war and against the occupation.

The anti-war groups we support in Israel are under threat, but they keep struggling and resisting. With your help, we can continue to support the activities of our partners, both through donations and in helping to amplify their voices internationally at this critical point when international pressure is the most likely path to end the attack on Gaza.

Today we are sharing the words from Yesh-Gvul, one of the first Israeli groups to call for a ceasefire. A movement that aims to sway public opinion against wars of choice, and the occupation of Palestinian territories. Yesh Gvul was founded in 1982 with the outbreak of the First Lebanon War, as a refusal movement of soldiers in the reserves force. In recent years, its members have battled the continuing occupation together with other organizations, helped conscientious objectors, and led monthly vigils.

In the past weeks of war about 1,300 Israelis were murdered, and 239 were abducted. In the Gaza Strip over 10,000 were murdered, of which more than 3,600 were children. In the face of this horrible reality, Yesh Gvul posted the following text as a front-page ad published in Haaretz newspaper daily:


After weeks of continuous killing and harm to Israeli and Palestinian citizens, we say enough! Enough of the killing, enough of the systemic harm to civilians and neighborhoods, enough of the collective punishment.

We call on the government to immediately enter into negotiations for the release of the hostages, a ceasefire, as well as finding a political solution to the long-standing conflict between us and the Palestinians. There is no military solution to a political conflict: it is the continuation of the occupation and oppression that brought us this far.

It won't end until we talk and guarantee a safe life for all people between the sea and Jordan, for all of us - Israelis and Palestinians alike.

The shock and anger at the horrific massacre and the terrible war crimes of Hamas do not justify harming the innocent, even when they are on the other side of the border, under the rule of an abominable enemy.

It is forbidden to execute without trial, it is forbidden to torture during investigations and arrests, collective punishments must not be imposed. Citizens must not be denied food, water, electricity, and medical care. It is forbidden to take part in war crimes!


Yesh Gvul and other Israeli war resistance groups we support need us more than ever, they are counting on us! Please Support our struggle by donating in this link.

In solidarity,

Mattan Helman

Executive director

Refuser Solidarity Network

Solidarity Brings Hope - We Must Work Together To End This War

Hi,

My Name is Atalya, In 2017 I publicly refused to serve in the Israeli military. I did so because I felt I could not take part in the occupation of Palestine. Subsequently, I spent four months in military prison, but more importantly, I started walking a path of non-violent resistance to the Israeli occupation working together with Palestinian partners mostly in the city where I was born, Jerusalem.

In the past six years, I devoted myself to acting in solidarity through varied means, one of them being protective presence. That means accompanying Palestinians and using my privileges as a Jewish Israeli to offer safety, both in east Jerusalem and in the occupied Palestinian territories. Mostly it included being present at home evictions or accompanying shepherds who are being threatened by settlers. This presence provides protection because police and military in Israel treat Jewish people differently, they more rarely attack us and they mostly only converse with Hebrew speakers and so we can interven, film and take photos.

On Saturday October 7th, I was with friends at a protective presence shift in the village of At-Tuwani, in the Occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank. While waiting for the shepherd we were supposed to accompany, one of my friends started to receive concerning messages from his family in Kibbutz Be'eri. His parents, younger siblings, grandmother, aunt, and uncle are lived in Be'eri, which was under a Hammas attack. And he immediately learned of the dangerous situation going on in the Kibbutz. In shock, he told us that armed Hamas militants entered the Kibbutz. His immediate family was locked inside their safe room, but his aunt and uncle were missing.

It was like a nightmare in real life . We went back to the village and he started to make his way back to Jerusalem. Me and the other activists stood watch at the borders of the village, as Israeli soldiers came and started to shout. They threatened they would shoot anyone who was outside. While trying to document the situation, one soldier, with a mad look in his eyes, pushed me to the ground. Not long after, a Hamas missile dropped in the fields of a nearby village. Hearing its blaring boom, it dawned on us that here there is no safe space around. Being in At-Tuwani at that moment felt unreal.

We did not know what to do. Should we stay and show our Palestinian partners we support them? Is it smart to risk ourselves that way? Would this help anybody? At the same time, I was thinking of my very good friend who was by himself, fearing he might lose his entire family. Should I go back home to be with him and support him? And what about my sister and her children who also live in a Kibbutz near the Gaza Strip?

After a few more hours at At-Tuwani we understood there is not much more support we could offer—it was time to return to Jerusalem. The way back was scary. We heard from our friend that he spent an hour at the border. Luckily, we made it back home faster, and immediately rushed to his home to be with him for a horror-filled night. By the middle of the night, most of his family was rescued, except his uncle and aunt, who are currently still in the hands of Hamas as hostages in the Gaza strip.

The days since have been scary and overwhelming. A week after our stay there, a Palestinian man was shot from point blank in At-Tuwani by a Jewish settler while an Israeli soldier stood by and watched. Friends were attacked by settlers in Wadi Sik, also in the West Bank, and the entire village was evicted. The horrors of war became clearer, with more and more people suffering and dying. So many people, both Israeli and Palestinian, are hurting and missing their loved ones.

Through all this hardship it remained true for me and my friend, that what we have is each other and other war resisting activists. Being together helps us, strengthens us. Slowly we see that we do have the power to affect this reality, even by helping just one person. We started to organize again, accompanying Palestinian workers back home—so they would not be hurt—and supporting families who lost their homes. Solidarity gives hope; we can work together to bring an end to this war.

We need your help to fund this effort, please join the struggle in solidarity to end this war, consider donating in this link.

In solidarity,

Atalya Ben-abba

Gaza: You can help war resisters make this crisis into a turning point

Dear friends,

A friend just wrote to me that two of his teenage cousins are among those Israeli civilians who were taken into the Gaza Strip and announced hostage by Hamas. The same friend spent 21 months in prison with me when we were 18-year-old and both refused to join the Israeli army as occupation resisters. These are horrific days – hundreds of Israelis and hundreds of Palestinians have already died. Many of our families and friends are directly impacted, and this is just the beginning as a war was already declared by the Israeli government. But this crisis is also a huge opportunity:, the next few weeks Israeli war resisters can make this unprecedented war into a turning point. You can help us.

Support the refusers

Shimri Zameret, RSN

In times like this, it is our role as Israeli war resisters to do all we can to prevent deadly escalation, an all-out war and the re-occupation of the Gaza strip. It is also our role to say loud and clear, in the Middle East and internationally, that there is no military solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict – this Gaza crisis is proving us right. The only stable solution to the conflict is a just peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

That is what we in Refuser Solidarity Network, and the Israeli groups of war refusers and war resisters we are working with, will work on in the coming days and weeks. Our Israeli partners are already publishing clear messages in social media and the press against violent escalation and for using this crisis as a turning point. They are supporting reserve refusers to the war. They are planning and leading protests in the streets. They are taking part in creating civilian de-escalation direct intervention teams, to patrol mixed Arab-Jewish cities, where in similar situations in the past violence erupted between gangs of nationalists.

It’s clear that immediate funds are critically needed to help groups on the ground. Your donations can help in amplifying the voices, messages, and actions of war resisters, in preventing escalation of violence, and in using this moment to build the movement for a just peace.

You can support the war resisters here. This is a critical time. Please help us make this crisis into a turning point.

In solidarity

Shimri Zameret

President of the Board

Refuser Solidarity Network

Hundreds of Israeli youth declare they will refuse military service in protest of fascist Israeli government

Hi,

This is Yeheli, the coordinator for Mesarvot network (Israeli network supporting Israeli youth refusers). We have exciting news. In the past few months we have been supporting a group of Israeli youth, obligated by law to enlist in the near future, in the process of writing a refusal declaration they initiated. In the declaration they state they will refuse military service for as long as the Israeli government continues anti-democratic oppressive actions, both towards Palestinians and Jews alike. 230 youth have signed the statement so far and we officially release it today to the Israeli public. Read the full statement below and please make sure to share it with friends, family, and colleagues by clicking here.


Youth against Dictatorship, Summer 2023

As young women and men about to be conscripted into Israeli military service, we say NO to dictatorship in Israel and in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We hereby declare that we refuse to join the military, until democracy is secured for all who live within the jurisdiction of the Israeli government.

Despite our six months of determined struggle for a genuine democracy that has been waging in the streets almost daily, the government continues to pursue its destructive agenda. We truly fear for our own future, and for the future of all who live here.

In view of this, we have no choice but to take extreme measures and refuse to serve in the army. A government that destroys the judiciary is not a government that we can serve. An army that militarily occupies another people is not an army that we can join.

The judicial coup has already exerted an enormous price on the Israeli society and on the Palestinian people. The dictatorship that has existed for decades in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is now oozing into Israel proper and is directed against us. Violent settlers now control the entire state. These are not recent developments. Undemocratic attitudes and actions are essential to maintaining this regime of occupation and Jewish supremacy. The only thing that has changed is that the mask is now off.

Faced with this reality, we say NO!


We know that the more youth groups will refuse service, the bigger the impact we’re going to have on the political situation in Israel. We hope to get this declaration through mainstream Israeli media channels to give more Israeli youth the courage and confidence to refuse themselves. Please click here to share this statement with everyone you know so we can get them all the support they need to continue their important actions.

I also want to share an update about 25 y/o conscientious objector “D”. He has been tried a fourth time by the Israeli military for refusing to serve the occupation. He received an additional sentence of 20 days, totalling 59 days. While he was serving his sentence, Mesarvot together with Yesh Gvul (Israeli network supporting Israeli reservists refusers), organized a support demonstration for him outside the prison. In a phone call received from “D” later that day he mentioned hearing us demonstrating made him feel supported and motivated and strengthened his spirit. “D” was released last Thursday from prison and is now at home waiting to get news whether he will be imprisoned again or receive an exemption.

In solidarity,

Yeheli

From Pro-Democracy to Anti-Occupation

Israel is in an unprecedented crisis, but we believe that it represents a unique opportunity for strengthening the anti-occupation movement. Help us make the most of it by supporting our work with Israeli civil society. Donate via this link.

As I write this update, Netanyahu’s government is ramming through its anti-democratic legislative agenda. Israel’s reserve army, a cornerstone of its defense policy, is in open rebellion. Just this weekend, as some 70,000 Israelis marched in sweltering heat from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, over 500 air force pilots formally announced that if the legislation passes, they will refuse to serve. On Saturday, they were joined by nearly 10,000 soldiers from other branches. Later in the day, dozens of former heads of the army and the security services published a letter backing the refusers. Never in Israel’s 75-year history has refusal to serve in the army been mainstreamed in this way.

PHOTO: The sign “We Won’t Kill and Die in the Service of the Settlers” greets tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters as they enter Jerusalem on Saturday night at the end of a march from Tel Aviv

At first glance, these developments might seem like a domestic spat with no relevance to the future of the Palestinians. Our Israeli partners, however, see the current turmoil as an outstanding opportunity to significantly expand the anti-occupation movement. They cite a number of factors.

  1. Refusal to serve, until recently seen by the mainstream as tantamount to sacrilege, has been normalized as a legitimate form of civil resistance.

  2. Centrist Israelis are increasingly realizing that without an end to the military occupation of the Palestinians there will be no democracy in Israel: A central pillar of the current Israeli government is a fascist party led by West Bank settlers, and many elements of its legislative agenda are designed to facilitate the occupation regime in the West Bank.

  3. The Anti-Occupation Bloc of the democracy protest movement has experienced steady growth and its message -- No Democracy With Occupation -- is increasingly visible at the demonstrations.

In an effort to make the most of the current opportunities for change, Mothers Against Violence, a new voice for refusal in Israel and an RSN partner, have launched a new campaign: Get the Soldiers Out! Because of their unique position as mothers and grandmothers of soldiers, their calls for refusal have generated traction among audiences not normally associated with the anti-occupation positions.

They’re a very lean organization, however, and have requested our professional assistance. Drawing on the cadre of refusers we’ve supported over the past two decades, we’ve managed to recruit a number of mentors with the requisite experience and skills to help MAV build their capacity. Over the next six months, RSN mentors will work with MAV and a new group of reservist refusers to ensure that they have the tools to make the most of this political juncture’s potential to significantly expand the anti-occupation movement. We’ve just launched a crowdfunding campaign to support this effort, and hope to raise $20,000 to fund them through the end of the year.

At this critical juncture, we need your support. Click here to help us grow and widen the anti-occupation movement. If you’ve already donated, please consider sharing this appeal with your friends and family.

In solidarity,

Mattan Helman

Executive Director

Refuser Solidarity Network

New Profile: Helping Russian and Ukrainian refugees in Israel refuse service in occupation

Hi,

my name is Or and I am the co-coordinator for New Profile’s counselling network for the past 4 years. New Profile is an anti-militaristic feminist organization that works to create a more civil, tolerant, and peaceful society in Israel. One of our main projects is the counselling network, which provides consultation and legal aid for over a 1,000 people a year in the process of receiving an exemption from Israeli military service. We provide service to anyone who chooses this path, regardless of their reason, socio-economic background, or political affiliation. Refusal to serve for any reason is a political action and a critical component in the process of shifting Israeli society away from militarism and towards peace.

Photo credit: Breaking Walls

This means that if, for example, someone from the Ethiopian community chooses to refuse because of racism they and their family experienced by the government and different parts of society - it’s political. Or, if someone chooses not to enlist because they are the breadwinners in the household, and the Military pays soldiers under minimum wage even though the service is mandatory by law for at least 2-3 years - it’s political. If someone does not want to be a part of a militaristic hierarchical institution, or if they are in severe depression and cannot face military service, or even because they just don’t want to - all of these are legitimate reasons to refuse, and more so, they are important political statements.

In the past year we’ve seen a rise in the number of people who reach out to us for assistance in receiving an exemption from service for two reasons. One is resistance to serve under the current Israeli government that works to promote an even more violent and fascist agenda than previous governments, and the second is the enlistment orders sent to Russian-Ukrainian war refugees arriving in Israel. RSN works to enhance the refusers’ and resistance movements to militarism in Israel and is helping us cover some of the extra costs we have since this rise has begun. You can support our efforts by making a donation to support RSN and New Profile’s counselling network at this link.

Israel operates different programs to assist and lure Jews in the diaspora to immigrate to Israel, some of them assisting the Jewish Russian and Ukrainian refugees while lying to them about the maximum drafting age. Thus far, over a 1000 enlistment orders were sent to Russian and Ukrainian refugees that arrived in Israel. This is not spoken about at all in Israeli media - Newspapers aren't willing to publish about it and refugees fear doing interviews.

Some of the cases we meet on a regular basis are of Russian men who have decided that they will not take part in the Russia-Ukraine war, that they are not willing to kill or be killed, and had to be smuggled out of Russia, which has taken a toll on them and their families as they needed to use all their resources, financial and emotional, to leave the country. Just a few months after arriving in Israel they are being drafted to take part in the military occupation of the Palestinian territories.

Another type of cases are of Ukrainian women who fled the bloody war and could not even imagine there is even a possibility that they will be drafted to any military. There is no other “democratic” country with mandatory military service that applies to women, but in Israel, under the guise of the “people’s army” or “liberal feminism”, women have to become soldiers. This puts them in complete shock, which increases their already existing feeling of helplessness.

We feel this situation is completely absurd - enlisting war refugees for a different war to occupy another people. We need your help in strengthening the refusal movement to make sure anyone who wants to refuse will be able to do so. Donate to RSN to strengthen the Israeli refuser movement at this link.

New Profile is the only organization that supports the refugees, and the number of requests we receive for counselling keeps rising. We make sure to train Ukrainian and Russian speaking people to provide support, and keep any communication with the refugees anonymous, so they won’t be exposed to any risk because of it. This work is even more crucial with the current government who pushes forward laws and regulations that limit the ability to get a military exemption, that increases the amount of weapons in civil society areas, that educates children to fascists and racist values, and deepens the occupation of the Palestinian people.

It breaks my heart that no one knows about this horrible thing happening and nobody talks about this, so it keeps happening. That is why I’m happy for the opportunity to share this information with you. Please donate to RSN to help the Israeli refuser movement grow and to help us increase the assistance the counselling network can give individuals in distress.

To days without wars and weapons,

Or Ben David

Mothers Against Violence: A new voice for refusal

We’ve often worked closely with our supporters to provide direct support to the brave Israelis refusing to serve in the Israeli army. Today, we want to share an example of other kinds of work RSN is involved in the effort to build a mass civil resistance movement, in particular the refuser movement, to end the occupation of the Palestinians. We’re now launching a crowdfunding campaign to support these activities, and hope to raise $20,000 to fund them through the end of the year.

A central pillar of the current Israeli government is a fascist party led by West Bank settlers, and many elements of its legislative agenda are designed to facilitate the occupation regime in the West Bank. The realization, that without an end to the military occupation of the Palestinians there will be no democracy in Israel, has dawned on many Israelis who identify as centrist liberals.

A new crop of activist groups has sprung up to channel this energy. One example is Mothers Against Violence (MAV), a grassroots group with chapters across Israel. With their yellow vests, they are a visible presence at every pro-democracy protest, working to defuse potentially violent encounters with the police and right-wing counter protesters. In parallel they operate a humanitarian support project for the Palestinian residents of Masafer Yatta, a West Bank community that is a locus of Israeli displacement efforts.

The Mothers long term goal is ending the occupation. They have explicitly called on Israelis to refuse service in the West Bank. In recent weeks, as settler violence against West Bank Palestinians has escalated, they’ve launched a new public campaign: Get the Soldiers Out! Targeting parents of Israeli Army conscripts, the campaign warns of the legal jeopardy threatening soldiers providing security for settler attacks (particularly following their designation as nationalist terrorism), as well as communicating current research on the high levels of PTSD exhibited by soldiers who served in this role.



RSN has identified the mothers as a unique and effective voice within Israeli public discourse. Because of their unique position as mothers and grandmothers of soldiers, their calls for refusal have generated traction among audiences not normally associated with the anti-occupation positions. We believe that they will form an important component of a mass refusal movement.

Over the past few months we’ve worked with the Mothers’ leadership to find the most effective way to support the group. MAV believes that remaining a very lean volunteer organization, with no staff or offices, is essential to maintaining their effectiveness. They’ve requested that RSN help build their outreach and fundraising capacity, without compromising who they are as an organization.

Drawing on the cadre of refusers we’ve supported over the past two decades, we’ve managed to recruit a number of mentors with the requisite experience and skills to help MAV build their capacity. Over the next six months, RSN mentors will work with MAV and a new group of reservist refusers to ensure that they have the tools to make the most of this political juncture’s potential to significantly expand the anti-occupation movement.

We need your help to fund this effort, please consider donating via this link.

In solidarity,

Mattan Helman

Executive Director

Refuser Solidarity Network

Third time in prison: anonymous 25 year old refuser receives prison sentences totalling 39 days

The anonymous refuser “D”, whose refusal statement we shared with you last month, has been incarcerated again. Write “D” a solidarity letter here.

Last week, “D” (25 y/o) refused conscription to the Israeli military a third time due to his conscientious objection to becoming a soldier and act as an occupier and oppressor to the Palestinian people. He received another prison sentence, this time of 20 days, after already serving 14 days in prison and 5 days under arrest in a military base.

On one of the times that “D” arrived to refuse conscription he received a ridiculous treatment over his key chain that had the image of the Palestinian flag. While entering the military base, the guards at the gate were so startled to see his key chain it cause panic that resulted in detaining “D”, calling for back-up, bringing in a consultation of 8 soldiers (one of whom was a commander), alerting the head of the unit that was in charge of “D” to “examine the problem”, and to triple the number of guards watching over him in the car ride to the prison.

All of this has not deterred “D” one bit and will not make him flinch or change his position. RSN and Mesarvot salute him for ALL his actions. If you have not written a support letter to “D” yet, you can write one in this link.

In solidarity,

RSN team

Another 20 days in prison: Yuval Dag receives a 4th prison sentence

We want to update that Yuval Dag, 20 year old Israeli conscientious objector, whose refusal statement we shared with you in the past, has been incarcerated again. Write Yuval a solidarity letter here.

In the past few months Yuval refused three times to enlist in the Israeli military because of his objection to the occupation of the Palestinian territories. Each time he was tried and sentenced to prison. He received sentences totaling 50 days, of which he already served 46 days. Last week he refused a fourth time and received an additional sentence of 20 days. However, he is standing strong knowing he is doing what is right. In his refusal statement Yuval wrote:


“The occupation can no longer be seen as incidental. It can no longer be considered as a security need. The occupation is a political enterprise operated by the army, which harms the vast majority of people who live here. It serves a racist and colonialist agenda of Jewish supremacy. Even those who shut their eyes for all these years, who tried to ignore and suppress the existence of the occupation, cannot continue to ignore it after the pogrom committed [in Huwara] by settlers under the protection of soldiers of the Israeli army. The fact that this violence, which originates with the government, has become so transparent and unapologetic requires us to open our eyes and resist.


RSN and Mesarvot hope Yuval will be released as soon as possible to continue his activism against the occupation as a free man. In the meantime, if you have not written Yuval a solidarity letter yet, write him via this link.

In solidarity,

RSN team

Anonymous 25 years old conscientious objector in prison

Hi,

I’m “D”. I’m a 25 years old Israeli conscientious objector. I don’t feel comfortable disclosing my name but I want to share my story with you. I have already served 5 days under arrest in an Israeli military base and another 14 days in military prison because I refuse to serve the Israeli military. Some people might say I’m a traitor. After all, since I moved to this country a couple of years ago when I was a kid I have been given so much. And, some might say, now that it’s my time to give something in return, I stab them in the back. Well, it’s not that simple, and if you have one minute I can tell you why.

Write “D” a support letter

Like many of the Jewish immigrants who have settled between the river and the sea, I didn’t have a simple life in my homeland. I lived with a dysfunctional family in a dysfunctional country, and would constantly fantasize about a way out of that misery. So when the Jewish Agency approached me with their smiling faces and full pockets I decided to follow them.

They put me in a boarding school in a kibbutz (communal village), where I joined scores of other kids like me, who were brought to Israel without their families from all around the world. In the seemingly perfect life of the kibbutz we were taught Hebrew and indoctrinated with zionist narrative and values.

In the bubble where I lived during those years I never met a Palestinian, and the teachers conveniently refrained from talking about certain subjects, for instance what really happened in 1948 or what is happening all around us today. Little did I know that I was in fact being “educated” in ignorance, indifference and hatred.

But after I moved to Jerusalem this illusion in which I lived didn’t hold up for long, because despite all the efforts of the Israelis to hide reality, it is impossible for them to make the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians that live under oppression in this city disappear, or to conceal the segregation wall which I saw everyday.

Write “D” a support letter

As my enlistment day came closer and closer the voices in my head grew. Realizing the hypocrisy of Israeli society wasn’t easy for me, because it involved admitting that I had been wrong all those years. It involved realizing that all of the wealth that I enjoyed was based on the plundering of the land of innocent people.

Breaking free from the mental chains of the apartheid as a member of the oppressors was a painful process. Zionists brainwash you to think that Israel is the underdog, that the only way Jews can exist is if there is a Jewish state, and they make you believe that Palestinians are some kind of inferior and barbaric humans, that must be kept in cages or else they will break out and kill you.

But once I had learned the facts I couldn’t go back. I had finally seen the truth and unmasked the cynical impostors that had brought me here. They didn’t want to help me, they only desired my Jewish presence.

Write “D” a support letter

But drunk with all of their power and plans they didn’t think about one very important detail. They treat people as objects, killing Palestinians and brainwashing children. They think they can give us orders and we will follow them like robots. But we aren’t robots, we are humans! All of their tanks and nuclear weapons mean nothing, because they pale in the face of their biggest menace, the thinking human.

Now the future seems bleak. They treat me like an enemy and a traitor for standing up for human rights and solidarity. I am one of the lucky ones, because instead of being incarcerated endlessly like hundreds of Palestinians in administrative detention, my time in jail eventually will come to an end. But all of their violence and oppression is just a sign of their fear and their weakness. Because they know that democracy is their sweet demise. That’s why they will persecute all and each one of us. But in these dark times we shall remember Pablo Neruda’s words: “They can cut all the flowers, but they cannot keep Spring from coming.”

In solidarity,

“D”

Israeli refusers need you: Take action with us today

Dear friends,

We have written to you different updates in the past few weeks, sharing with you ongoing news about the huge refusal wave and civil resistance movement against the extreme right-wing Israeli government’s plans to turn Israel into a settler-led autocracy. Should this happen, the people most affected would be all minorities under Israeli rule, but mostly Palestinians under military occupation.

This is the time to act. Even though the Netanyahu government paused its power-grab legislation, this fight is far from over. At least 200,000 Israelis turned out over the weekend, showing that they are not backing down.  At the same time anti-occupation activists are using this momentum to bring more people closer to the anti-occupation movement.

We need to show the Israelis bravely resisting autocracy that the world is watching and that they have our support. Sign this petition showing you stand with Israelis fighting for democracy for all. 

Global support for reserve soldiers who joined the resistance movement is especially crucial. The military is the institution the Israeli government derives most of its power from, both within the green line and in the Palestinian territories. The past weeks have shown that when enough soldiers refuse, the government will have to back down. 

But this is going to be a long and difficult struggle. Netanyahu is doing everything he can to demonize protesters and refusers, calling them “traitors” and “anarchists.”

It is up to us to make sure the refusers know they have the world behind them. Each one of us needs to support the biggest civil resistance movement Israel has ever seen. Click here to sign our new petition, showing Israelis that we stand with them. 

The shift in the mainstream Israeli public opinion around support for army refusal as a civil resistance act is a massive opportunity for the anti-occupation movement. This shift indicates a breakdown in the Israeli mainstream’s conviction of the morality of the government’s military. 

Right now, RSN is working in collaboration with Israeli anti-occupation activists on the ground in order to seize this opportunity and grow the movement. Help us show the resistance movement they have global support by signing our petition.

In solidarity,

Shimri Zameret,

Chairman of the board

Refuser Solidarity Network

Breaking news: The refusers forced the Israeli government to delay the judicial coup!

Weeks-long wave of refusal and civil resistance forced the Israeli government yesterday (Monday) to postpone the anti-democratic judicial coup! Due to the refusers' pressure, on Saturday, the minister of defense, Yoav Galant, had a press conference and announced his opposition to the judicial coup, citing voices of dissent in the army as the major reason for his break with his own party and the government. As a result, the prime minister, Netanyahu, fired him on Sunday. The firing led to a huge backlash:  mass protests, a general strike by universities and trade unions, the blocking of roads across the country and the shutdown of the airport. All this forced the government to postpone the judicial coup. And it all started with the refusers.
 

You can help us support the refusers.
 

Earlier this week the Israeli press overflowed with daily refusal statements and civil resistance announcements. Each day hundreds of reserve soldiers protested against the government and declared their refusal to continue to serve in the Israeli army. Among them are soldiers of the Intelligence Corps soldiers, doctors, combat pilots and more. In a letter sent to the Israeli defense minister, soldiers of the Intelligence Corps  wrote:

Our conscience does not allow us to cooperate with the attempts to change the regime In Israel. An undemocratic Israel is a weak Israel which is dangerous to minorities within it, an Israel with a failing economic system. Our love for the country and the many years we spent serving it compel us to resist.” 

The act of refusal also worked its way to different sectors of the army and the Israeli society. 700 Soldiers in the standing army sent out official letters to the minister of defense and the Commander-in-Chief of the Israeli army stating that they will resign from service. Parents of soldiers to be facing mandatory conscription have reconsidered sending their children to serve in the army and a group of 40 soldiers currently serving their mandatory conscription filmed a video vowing not to serve an undemocratic government. 

On Friday, the Israeli army Commander-in-Chief warned that the Israeli army is disintegrating and that military operations are at risk due to massive amounts of refusals caused by the judicial coup. Israeli prime minister Netanyahu addressed the unprecedented crisis the army is facing and mentioned that refusing to serve in the military is a great danger to Israel. 

The refusal wave puts the government in an unparalleled crisis, and this crisis is a huge opportunity. This represents a massive crack in the Israeli mainstream’s conviction that the army is used purely for defense. It is a moment of deep change in the worldviews of the Israeli citizenry, that could allow the anti-occupation movement to show Israelis that a democracy only for some people, is not a democracy at all.

Although this could be a time to celebrate decades of hard work leading to a moment of success, the fight is far from over. The reforms have only been postponed and not cancelled.  Netanyahu called for the army to punish the refusers, and to get the majority needed to approve a delay in the legislation, Netanyahu promised an ultra-nationalist party to create a new “national guard” under the control of Itamar Ben Gvir, the leader of an extreme right-wing party. All this means that leveraging the protests to fight the occupation is a challenge, and there is no democracy without an end to the occupation. 

Refuser Solidarity Network continues to support local Israeli refusers. We support efforts to use this moment to expand the anti-occupation movement and continue the fight to bring an end to the occupation. 
 

Please help us, and donate to support the refusers.


In solidarity,

Mattan Helman
Executive Director
Refuser Solidarity Network

Yuval Dag received a 10 day prison sentence for refusing to serve the occupation

Earlier this week we shared with you Yuval Dag’s refusal statement in which he shared his experience of self-reflection and awakening that led him to his decision to refuse to enlist in mandatory army service. In his statement he declared:

“Today, more than ever, it is becoming clear to the general public how closely Israel and its policies are connected to violence and to the occupation of the Palestinian territories. [....] Resistance begins, first of all, with self-reflection and understanding. With the understanding that by wearing a uniform and symbols of a certain body, you choose to represent that body. With the understanding that enlisting in the army is a political choice, and its meaning is to support the military and political agenda, and to take part in it. [....] I refuse to give my body and my life to any system, for any country, and in the current situation, especially not to the state of Israel and the Israeli military.”

On Monday, Yuval arrived at an Israeli military enlistment center and declared his refusal to enlist. He was accompanied by a group of Mesarvot’s activists (Israeli support network for occupation refusers) that held up signs in protest of the occupation. After stating his refusal to enlist to military authorities he was arrested and sent to trial. Yuval received a sentence of 10 days in military prison, where he is currently kept. 

We support Yuval in taking an active stand against the occupation and refusing to be even a small cog in a ruthless oppressive system. 

In this historic period where thousands of Israelis are protesting on the street and refuse to serve the establishment of a dictatorship by the Israeli government within the green line, Yuval’s personal act of protest is important to show the mainstream Israeli public the connection between the settler-led Israeli government’s power grab and the war crimes of the occupation. Help us amplify his voice - share his statement through this link on Facebook and ask two of your friends to share it as well. With your help we have the power to make a difference. Let's spread this message as far as we can.

In solidarity,

RSN team