Mattan here. I am a refuser and spent several months in an Israeli prison at the age of 20 for refusing to serve the Israeli occupation. On Thursday night in Tel Aviv, dozens gathered to stand with Daniel Schultz, an 18-year-old who will refuse mandatory military service this Sunday. Together, they filled the street with drumming and chants that carried far beyond the square: “Daniel is refusing and we love her!” and “On the home front and in the field, every soldier is a partner to murder.”

Daniel’s decision is not abstract. She came of age during the war on Gaza, studying alongside Palestinian classmates whose families were being killed. She saw how their grief, fear, and displacement were treated as background noise to “national unity.” Refusing, for her, was the only way to remain human. We support Daniel’s courage and principled stance at such a young age, and are asking all of our supporters to send Daniel a letter of support.

Each new generation of refusers expands the space of the possible. When Daniel stands before the military induction center and says no, she will be speaking not only for herself, but for thousands who cannot yet imagine that “no” as an option. She will face isolation, threats, and imprisonment because she has chosen to make visible what the state demands we forget: that participation in genocide is not inevitable.

Refusal has always been the beating heart of this movement. It is the moment when conscience interrupts the machine, when obedience gives way to solidarity. The courage of Daniel and others like her reminds us that even in a time of deep fear, resistance grows.

We stand with Daniel, with her generation, and with all who choose conscience over complicity. Please join us in sending her a letter of support and letting Daniel know that we all oppose the present state of affairs.