Mattan here. I am a refuser, I spent several months in an Israeli prison at the age of 20 for refusing to serve the Israeli occupation, and today I serve as the Executive Director of Refuser Solidarity Network. We are in the midst of an unprecedented refuser wave, with hundreds of soldiers refusing to carry out war crimes in Gaza. The stakes are only rising: the Israeli regime has resorted to expanding its regional war of annihilation to Iran. Refusers are our best chance to end the assaults on Gaza and Iran – refusal waves have ended Israeli attacks against the Palestinian people at least twice in the past: the end of the first Lebanon war and the withdrawal in 2000, and the withdrawal from Gaza in 2005. Refuser Solidarity Network is the only international group dedicated to supporting Israeli refuser movements, and has been for 20 years. We are financing legal aid, press and social media campaigns that amplify their refusal, training and mentorship, and urgently need your support to keep up with the momentum. We achieved 54% of our mid-year goal. Help us reach our goal of $30,000 so we can continue to expand the essential support we provide to refusers to end the genocide today.
In a militarized society like Israel, built on mandatory service, refusal has always been a powerful way to force the government to back down. There can be no occupation with no soldiers. Today, we at Refusal Solidarity Network are aggressively supporting those leading the latest wave of refusal and fighting to bring the genocide to an end. Our ability to support emerging groups of refusers is expanding. We successfully backed several reservists in forming the group Soldiers for Hostages over the last year. However the need to support crucial anti-war initiatives grows even faster, especially as Israel expands its regional assault to include Iran, we need more support from our friends around the world.
Beyond funding for lawyers, for press and social media campaigns, we are helping them to build the necessary infrastructure to organize and build a community of resistance to the genocide in Gaza and imperialist war in Iran. Refusers numbers are currently growing exponentially, and if they continue to grow, they will end this war. Refuser movements have already done so in the past, and can do it again today, but they urgently need your support.
Israeli refusal movements were at the center of putting a stop to Israeli atrocities. This has happened at least twice: in 1982, helping to end the Israel-Lebanon war and in 2002-2005, helping to force Israel’s pullout from Gaza in response to the Second Intifada. Reservists are the backbone of the Israeli military, from ensuring the army’s day-to-day functioning to flying Israel’s warplanes to bomb Gaza. The army cannot carry on with its daily operations without them, which is why refusal is such an effective form of resistance that we must support at all costs.
The most powerful kind of support that our global supporters can offer them right now is long-term, for the years and decades to come. Even small donations are what helps the Israeli refuser movement work towards the long-term, not just to end this genocide but to put a stop to all future wars and the occupation itself. This is our goal and we will achieve it. Support our campaign to raise the money needed to continue our work. If you already donated, let your communities know about our campaign. We truly believe that this unprecedented stage in the struggle against the genocide has the power not only to end the assault on Gaza but open up a new political horizon here. It is a marathon, not a sprint, and Refuser Solidarity Network is increasing our support at unprecedented levels to meet the needs of the anti-war movement, we truly need your help to bring freedom, equality and justice to all.