Mattan here. I spent 110 days in military prison for refusing to serve in the Israeli occupation army. As Israel escalates its assault on Gaza City, the images are unbearable. Entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble, children buried under debris, destruction on a scale words can hardly capture. At the very same time, a new wave of draft orders has gone out, summoning more people into this machinery of annihilation. It is a reminder of what is at stake. Every soldier who refuses has the power to stop this. That is why RSN has devoted most of our resources to supporting reservists in refusal. Thanks to your support, together we have built the most effective resistance against the genocide in Gaza. Many reservists are saying no, slowing the destruction, and saving lives. Please continue to stand with them.
This week I spoke with our partner Max Kresch from Soldiers for Hostages, an organization we finance, support, and help grow in order to end this war. Over the last two weeks, they have run a bold campaign across the country. Billboards featuring Max and other refusers in uniform went up with a single word: “Stop!” The backlash was immediate. The Shadow, a far-right influencer, posted their photos online, calling them “traitors.” Soon enough, the hate and harassment poured in.
And yet, something else happened too. Amid the threats came a wave of support. People saw the absurdity of being branded a “traitor” for wanting to save lives. Messages began arriving from those ready to sign, to refuse, to join. Soldiers for Hostages is growing, even as fear tries to silence them. They now number over 350. Over the past year, we have normalized refusal as a legitimate act of resistance, from just a handful in the beginning to hundreds now. Resist with us. Support refusers.
Together with movement partners, Soldiers for Hostages has also launched a new hotline and resource basket for potential refusers. Many still do not know refusal is even possible within such a militarized society. But now, every day, messages arrive from soldiers and reservists who feel trapped, desperate for another path. Through this hotline, we are showing them they are not alone, that refusal is possible, and that when done together it can be powerful.
The government wants to make refusal unthinkable. We are making it mainstream. Every act of refusal chips away at the system that makes bombings like those in Gaza City, and the draft orders that sustain them, possible. And we will keep building until the cracks become irreversible.
All this is possible because of you and our 21,000 supporters. Your support has created the most powerful resistance to genocide. With your continued commitment, we can bring it closer to an end.