Refusing to Kill is Not a Crime
Guernica by Pablo Picasso, 1937
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Cut to pieces: the Palestinian family drinking tea in their courtyard: Israeli unmanned aerial vehicles – the dreaded drones – caused at least 48 deaths in Gaza during the 23-day offensive. 23 March 2009
Under attack: how medics died trying to help Gaza's casualties: Israeli military says medical staff 'take the risk upon themselves'. 23 March 2009
Gaza war crime claims gather pace as more troops speak out. Fresh allegations have come to light that gung-ho leadership inculcated a culture of disregard for Palestinian casualties. 22 March 2009
Two Israeli women refuse to serve during Israeli bombing of Gaza. Two women objectors, Raz Bar-David Varon and Maya Yechieli Wind, both signatories of the 2008 high school seniors refusal letter, declared their refusal to serve in the Israeli military and were sentenced to 14 days in military prison. 20 January 2009
29 November 2008
Father, forgive me, I will not fight for your Israel Omer Goldman, daughter of a former Mossad chief, tells why she prefers jail to the military draft October 12, 2008
After conscientious objector Udi Nir went to military prison for 21 days on 21 August 2008, two more conscientious objectors are now in prison. Avichai Vaknin (ISR14948), a 18 years old pacifist conscientious objector from Yehud, near Tel Aviv, has been sentenced to 21 days in prison on the same day as Udi Nir, and received the same sentence of 21 days. 26 August 2008
Our reign of terror, by the Israeli army 19 April 2008
The Report was submitted; Now What? The Winograd Commission Member: Next time I will pointedly ask" Why did we go to YESH GVUL! February 2008
Refuseniks in other armies are not treated so well, he says. "When I decided to refuse, none of my family, neighbours, or friends denounced me. Their tone varied between respect for my views and outright support. An officer in my battalion who is himself a settler told me, 'I respect you, but keep loving the Jews and the nation of Israel.' I was surprised but very happy." 06 April 2006
In 1986, Mordechai Vanunu, an engineer at Israel’s Dimona nuclear centre, revealed to the London Sunday Times the existence of the secret Israeli nuclear weapons program. Although he is still banned from contacting reporters, last October Vanunu answered Swiss journalist Silvia Cattori's questions in an exclusive interview for Voltaire Network. 1 March 2006
A new declaration of refusal by students has already collected 250 signatures of youngsters facing compulsory military service. 17 March 2005
What happened last Thursday November 11th 2004
"Dear friends. First the timing, Israel spies chose the day of Arafat's death, they were ready with this plan to arrest me since Oct' 19th. I saw the paper signed by the same Jewish religious judge from Oct' 19th. So they knew Arafat was going to die, and they decided to arrest me on that day", writes Mordechai Vanunu November 2004
This is a victory for all women and men of good conscience who refuse to participate in oppression and occupation. The calm bravery of these five young men reminds us that we all have the right to refuse to be part of the occupation and suggests that we might well consider that this right is really a duty. September 2004
The Five will be released from prison on September 15th. We don't know if they are going to be released from the army then, or whether the army authorities are still planning to try and recruit them yet again. August 2004
Last week, the exhibition of photographs/testimonies "Breaking the Silence" Fighters Tell about Hebron closed, after being on display during June at the Gallery of Geographic Photography in Yad Eliahu, Tel Aviv July 2004
The military parole committee convened yesterday at the military court in Jaffa to discuss the possibility of a parole to the five conscientious objectors refusing to enlist in an army of occupation. 7 July 2004
News and what you can do by New Profile.
Vanunu released by Israel after 18 years but fears for his safety remain. 22 April 2004
Protests were lodged yesterday against the restrictions that are to be imposed on the Israeli nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu, who is due to be released from prison next week. 17 April 2004
For more about Mordechai Vanunu see Mordechai Vanunu: A Profile
The Refuser Solidarity Network conference in March 2004 in Chicago, brought together Israeli refuseniks representing various organizations (Yesh Gvul, Shministim, Parents Forum, New Profile, and Courage to Refuse) with the Refuser Solidarity Network (RSN) to discuss the next steps forward.
22 March 2004
Women in Black, Belgrade: We have not managed to stop the wars, but we have never made peace with hatred and violence 14 February 2004
The army authorities now ask to transfer the five to a civil prison, since they regard them as a constant incitement and a potential danger to the military prison, no matter what they do.
12 February 2004
I would not have believed that I'd send rockets into Jenin, Gaza and Tulkarem, and I'm doing it 23 January 2003
In Hebron there's punitive fire. Shoot at everything you see. Cars, things, anything that moves . . . Shooting relaxes you, like meditation . . . Shooting people is therapy 2 January 2004
"I take it as a compliment that they are so afraid of our ability to persuade others that they called us dangerous and have to lock us up," 7 January 2004
A reservist colonel in the Israeli army has resigned his commission in protest at his army's "immoral conduct" in the occupied territories. 5 January 2004
Israeli democracy is being whittled away with every day of occupation 29 December 2003
We will no longer butcher our humanity by taking part in an occupying army's missions
22 December 2003
We shall no longer lend a hand in the occupation of the territories 21 December 2003
"The worse the occupation becomes, the more people will refuse . . . A country which oppresses three and half million people and denies them the most basic human rights is a country which is bound also to oppress its own citizens. No wonder that this country is sending us to prison. No wonder that it is trampling the poor and the disadvantaged." Adam Maor. 16 December 2003
Please sign your name, gather additional signatures and make your contribution against the occupation. December 2003
There are many families in which, in a certain sense, there are already two generations of criminals. The father went through it and now the son is going through it. 20 November 2003
"We strongly call upon the military authorities and the minister of defence to review the facts of the case and to reconvene the Conscience Committee to discuss once again the issue of whether or not Yoni Ben Artzi should get an exemption from military service." 13 November 2003
Some 150 people had come to express solidarity with the imprisoned refusniks, now entering the last stages of the year-long ordeal at the Jaffa Military Court. 22 October 2003
A military committee is recommending Israel do away with universal draft, one of the pillars of Israeli society. 24 September 2003
We refuse to take part in Air Force attacks on civilian population centers. We, for whom the Israel Defense Forces and the Air Force are an inalienable part of ourselves, refuse to continue to harm innocent civilians. 24 September 2003
Both Matar and Kaminer, replying to the prosecutor's questions regarding the duty to obey the law in a democratic state, said that Israel is not fully democratic. 18 September 2003
"We live half a world from each other, we have led quite different lives, and yet we are both in the same situation: conscientious objectors to imperial war and occupation" 12 August 2003
In October 1998, Hiller, then 16 years old, notified the Israeli Minister of Defence of his conscientious objection to perform military service on pacifist grounds. 25 August 2003
About 34 percent of youngsters of conscription age are not recruited to the army or are ejected from after joining, 24 June 2003
"I, Noam Bahat, 'a soldier in the army of non-violence', hereby declare "On Thursday, 16 January, I began a hunger strike, protesting the occupation of the Palestinian people, the human rights violations in the Palestinian Occupied Territories, the detention of conscientious objectors in military prison, our recurrent sentences and the turning of the State of Israel into a fascist state before our eyes. 23 December 2003
"Already for years I know that i am not going to join the army. I know it with as much certainty as I know that I will never kick a homeless person lying on the sidewalk, never rape a woman, and when I will have a child - never abandon it. 3 July 2003
From the podium a call was made of solidarity with the 3 UK soldiers and 1 US marine, imprisoned for their refusal to join the War Against Iraq. 11 April 2003
No, science of the American variety has no recourse. I, personally, cannot see myself anymore sharing a common human community with American science. Unfortunately, I also belong to a culture of a similar spiritual deviation (Israel), and which seems to be equally incorrigible.
9 April 2003
Already for years I know that I am not going to join the army. I know it with as much certainty as I know that I will never kick a homeless person lying on the sidewalk, never rape a woman, and when I will have a child - never abandon it. 24 June 2003
The Israel Defense Forces has recently begun to release soldiers from reserve duty when they refuse to serve in the territories, activists in the Courage to Refuse movement claim. This new policy, the group claims, is aimed at creating the false impression that the refusal movement has waned.
3 July 2003
From the podium a call was made of solidarity with the 3 UK soldiers and 1 US marine, imprisoned for their refusal to join the War Against Iraq. 11 April 2003
His uncle is the hawkish former prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu. But Jonathan Ben-Artzi is a conscientious objector who has already spent months in prison for refusing conscription - and today faces a full court martial. 11 March 2003
Israel is the only country in the world that practices conscription for women. It is thus also the only country in the world where women's draft resistance exists. The movement of women draft resisters in Israel is constantly on the rise. Undated
A letter from Shani Werner, a draft resister who has already received her exemption from the Israeli army on grounds of conscience. Shani is one of the initiators and organizers of the high school seniors group that wrote two open letters to the Prime Minister declaring refusal to serve in the army.
31 December 2002
We refuse to let our men, our husbands, our fathers, our brothers, or our sons and daughters be enemies and repeatedly create enemies. July 2002
I fail to understand how the repression of the Palestinian resistance to Israel by means of state terror - more cruel and of wider scale even than the counter terror which it provokes - serves the society that I am part of. How does the activity of the state, implemented through the army, benefit me and those I care for? 24 December 2001
War Resisters' International calls for the immediate release of all imprisoned conscientious objectors. To see their update on the situation of refusers and to send protest messages to the Israeli authorities and media. Undated
We, combat officers and soldiers […] have served the State of Israel for long weeks every year, in spite of the dear cost to our personal lives, have been on reserve duty all over the Occupied Territories, and were issued commands and directives that had nothing to do with the security of our country, and […] had the sole purpose of perpetuating our control over the Palestinian people. Undated
Wouldn't it be preferable to use the money to reinforce our social structures ? Wouldn't it be preferable to channel the funds to our crumbling health and education systems? Is it just to neglect the aged, the handicapped and the unemployed in favour of further settlements? Undated
Since the start of the current Palestinian uprising in September 2000, at least 400 Israelis, mostly reservists, have refused service in the Israeli-occupied territories, and in most cases they were quietly released from duty, according to a resisters' group, Yesh Gvul, which means, There is a Limit.
2 February 2002
So they are not willing to pay the price and risk their lives for something they don't believe in. This is a big problem for the army because it will affect their operations. The army needs to understand that fewer and fewer people are willing to do their dirty work in the territories. 31 January 2002
Without thinking, I turned into the perfect occupation enforcer. I settled accounts with "upstarts" who didn't show enough respect. I tore up the personal documents of men my father's age. I hit, harassed, served as a bad example - all in the city of Kalkilia, barely three miles from grandma and grandpa's home-sweet-home. No. I was no "aberration." I was exactly the norm. 6 February 2002
A friend of mine served in the Israeli Defence Force. He realized the insanity of it when his best friend was blown to pieces right next to him. He quit the army and quit the country. But he also told me about the fascination to hold a gun, the surge of power that one feels when you "can take somebody down from a 100 meters distance as a sniper". This is the disease of a male society. We get trained and taught what it means to be a man right from the beginning. We hardly get taught what it means to be a human. 2 April 2002
Good morning mom. Don't be ashamed for my behavior. I'm feeling very sick, I have the impression I'm becoming like a beast. I can't believe what I'm doing. I obey orders so I don't look like a sissy in front of my friends. You could never understand what it means to enter a house with ten children inside, woman and old people, pointing the rifle on them, shouting, "freeze!" in Arabic. Only a few months ago I was going to school, a nice sweet boy, now I'm an assassin. 4 April 2002
Amnesty International calls on the Israeli government to release immediately and unconditionally all those who have been imprisoned because they refused to serve in the Israeli army for reasons of conscience or profound conviction. 14 May 2002
In a time in Israel when poverty is at its highest level since the 1950s, many career soldiers, among them pilots and intelligence officers have chosen jail and unemployment rather than carrying out orders that they feel are immoral. 21 February 2003
"I hereby call upon all young people facing conscription or already conscripted: use your power of judgment. Do you intend to cooperate with the horrifying regime of [Israeli Prime Minister] Sharon, as the instrument of execution? And if you do intend to enlist, do not forget for a single moment that the army takes away from you, at the moment of mobilization, your power of judgment. Consequently, you must consider in advance what are the lines you shall never be willing to cross, because once you are inside, everything gets blurred up. Undated
The oppression known by the peoples of this in the age of the Empires, the torment of the slaves and the Indians in North America, the Algerian War of Independence and apartheid in South Africa - all these precedents have made my refusal inevitable. 23 October 2002
Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), is a very important Jewish religious festival, when Jewish people make atonement and seek absolution from God for the sins of the past year. Yesh Gvul (There is a limit), an organization opposed to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands, published their version of a Yom Kippur prayer during the first Palestinian Intifada. 1988
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