Hi,
My name is Yoav. I’m 19 years old from Israel. Tomorrow, I will refuse conscription to the Israeli military and will most likely be sentenced to military prison.
I grew up with the belief that no person should cause harm to any other human being. I truly feel that all people should help those who are in need, those who are less fortunate, and those who are being wronged by others.
In Israel, the occupation and oppression of the entire Palestinian people is a part of day to day life. The Israeli military and Israeli governmental policy continue to cause great suffering and wrongdoings to Palestinians. I am not willing to accept this reality or contribute to it. Refusing to enlist is one of the most important ways of supporting, even a little bit, the Palestinian struggle.
Last December, on the day of my conscription, I arrived at the enlistment center and refused. I was arrested for a day until the army released me and gave me a date to have my case reviewed by the army’s conscientious committee (which is the military body that is in charge of recognizing conscientious objectors).
The conscientious committee exempted me from carrying a weapon and the army expected me to enlist. However, my issue is not with shooting in a range or firing practice. With or without a weapon, the Israeli army is still an organization whose essence is war and I do not want to take part in it. So I refused again and was jailed for 8 days.
This Tuesday I will refuse a third time and will probably receive another prison sentence. Everywhere in the world there are injustices that need to change. In Israel, my place of birth, the suffering of Palestinians is a blatant injustice that needs to be fixed. This is why I will continue to refuse.
In solidarity,
Yoav