Learning resistance from the heart of the war machine
Hi Friend,
Shahaf here, writing from the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. I refused to serve in the Israeli army as a teenage conscientious objector. Led by a heart full of empathy and zero willingness to serve a violent regime, it remains one of the decisions I am most proud of in life. It was the only decision I could have taken after visiting Palestinian communities on the other side of the separation wall. I now know to say that it was only the beginning of my process of political thinking. Today I share with you some reflections from Israel-Palestine, Chiapas, and my work at Refuser Solidarity Network, where I amplify resistance to genocide and occupation. Will you join me in supporting the resistance?
Growing up in a militaristic society like Israel that is always on the verge of war has an impact that was not easy for me to unlearn. I was socialized to National trauma and anxiety, victim mentality, and the endless justification of Jewish supremacy. It is a tough starting point for political activism.
Growing up, I believed Zionism was a term representing collective autonomy from antisemitic repression and a more general care for my society. Once I visited Palestinian communities for the first time in my life after growing up in a segregated society, I began to understand Zionism from the standpoint of its victims. I dove deep into the history of Zionism and settler colonialism and I listened to the stories of Palestinians communities and activists. I began to wonder: is Zionism just racial supremacy and blind patriotism? This set me down the path of a years-long process of unlearning, asking questions, and soul searching: how to be part of resistance movements that are deeply solidaristic, knowing you grew up convinced you have a natural right to the land. How do we truly unlearn privilege?
I grew to love being an activist in the movement against the occupation, partaking in collective actions to dismantle apartheid from within. The best practices were always to fight the occupation with our feet, to be present where the abuse happens, to make our unlearning an act of civil disobedience. Israeli war resisters like those RSN supports are taking collective responsibility every day. At RSN, we support collectives who work and plan non-violent actions in opposition to war and genocide, collectives who stand with Palestinians in East Jerusalem against home dispossession, and groups who demilitarize society by supporting refusers. For me, activism and unlearning went hand in hand. The groups RSN supports do exactly that: they both take action and educate the public, reaching people who are in the same place I was as a young teen.
Many years of movements on the ground have taught me that as much as there is a need to unlearn, there is also a need to learn and inspire. I got to Chiapas five years ago eager to learn about the Zapatistas, the indigenous Mayan communities who took back their lands from an exploitative feudal system, and who declared autonomy, challenging their own erasure. They created their own school systems, modernized ancestral Mayan medicine, created a non-punitive justice system, and built true self-governance for their communities. Just last year, they made their lands common to anyone who wishes to come work on it, calling it COMUN, inviting the world to work the land together.
Walking alongside the Zapatista communities is a true learning experience of building, or rebuilding, from below, from a grassroots level, another way of doing politics. One that doesn’t look for power, but to be of service to others. Through my work in RSN, I am eager to accompany and walk alongside groups who bring to life this spirit, who continue to unlearn through action, and who rebuild and rethink. From Jerusalem to Chiapas and now through RSN, walking alongside the people’s movements is a process. Join us.
It is a privilege to be able to walk this path, and to support resistance internationally. We cannot do it alone. That is why I ask you directly: donate to the resistance today, consider making a monthly donation. Your backing makes actual resistance to war and genocide possible. It funds organizing, demonstrations and everything in between. We are challenging the war machine from its heart. Please, walk this path alongside us. Join us.
Caminando con los pueblos,
Shahaf Weisbein
RSN