We are happy to share with you that after 4 prison sentences and 49 days in jail, Shlomo was finally recognized as a conscientious objector and was released from Israeli military service! Here are his words:
Thank you all for your support as I was conscientiously objecting. I’m overjoyed that the conscientious committee ruled in my favor, and I have since been discharged from the Israeli military. The process of getting to that committee was long and hard, and only complicated by my commanding officers. They would not contact the relevant departments to schedule my conscientious objection hearing. They wouldn’t help while I was imprisoned nor would they help after I finished my prison sentence and was back home. They dismissed my request completely claiming it was impossible and said if I wanted to get to the committee I’d need to come back and work for the Israeli military. I was unable to explain the absurdity to them that they were only letting me go to the conscientious objector committee hearing if I stopped conscientiously objecting.
I feel incredibly fortunate to have The Mesarvot Network advocating for me. With their help, I was able to get to a committee hearing in July in spite of my commanders’ ridiculous conditions for their assistance. I told the committee about my personal history and my pacifism. They asked me why I drafted in the first place. I drafted because I was raised to believe that the Israeli military was the most moral military and it was the exception to my pacifism. But this was not the just thing to do; human life is more important than any ideology. The committee also asked me why I wouldn’t stay in the army in a non-combat role. I answered that I don’t want to be associated with any military, as my values and military values are so radically different. Also because I don’t want to be contributing to the overall power of a military, even in a non-combat role. If I did I would still be supporting and lending my strength to a system that I believe is acting immorally.
Some days later, I officially received my discharge from the Israeli military. I am happy that the military came to the just and right decision, and feel an overwhelming gratitude to the Mesarvot Network for helping me throughout this process. I still want to act on my principles that led me to conscientiously object: to help people and protect life. Now that I am released from the military, I intend on doing national service or volunteer work in either Firefighting or EMT work. I will continue to support, participate, and hope for the success of movements that encourage and advocate for nonviolent communication and conflict resolution, like Mesarvot. The problems we face are massive and expansive, but that means that every small step in the right direction leads to incredible improvement for those most oppressed by the violent nature of military force and in need of peace.
In solidarity
Shlomo