Weeks-long wave of refusal and civil resistance forced the Israeli government yesterday (Monday) to postpone the anti-democratic judicial coup! Due to the refusers' pressure, on Saturday, the minister of defense, Yoav Galant, had a press conference and announced his opposition to the judicial coup, citing voices of dissent in the army as the major reason for his break with his own party and the government. As a result, the prime minister, Netanyahu, fired him on Sunday. The firing led to a huge backlash: mass protests, a general strike by universities and trade unions, the blocking of roads across the country and the shutdown of the airport. All this forced the government to postpone the judicial coup. And it all started with the refusers.
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Earlier this week the Israeli press overflowed with daily refusal statements and civil resistance announcements. Each day hundreds of reserve soldiers protested against the government and declared their refusal to continue to serve in the Israeli army. Among them are soldiers of the Intelligence Corps soldiers, doctors, combat pilots and more. In a letter sent to the Israeli defense minister, soldiers of the Intelligence Corps wrote:
“Our conscience does not allow us to cooperate with the attempts to change the regime In Israel. An undemocratic Israel is a weak Israel which is dangerous to minorities within it, an Israel with a failing economic system. Our love for the country and the many years we spent serving it compel us to resist.”
The act of refusal also worked its way to different sectors of the army and the Israeli society. 700 Soldiers in the standing army sent out official letters to the minister of defense and the Commander-in-Chief of the Israeli army stating that they will resign from service. Parents of soldiers to be facing mandatory conscription have reconsidered sending their children to serve in the army and a group of 40 soldiers currently serving their mandatory conscription filmed a video vowing not to serve an undemocratic government.
On Friday, the Israeli army Commander-in-Chief warned that the Israeli army is disintegrating and that military operations are at risk due to massive amounts of refusals caused by the judicial coup. Israeli prime minister Netanyahu addressed the unprecedented crisis the army is facing and mentioned that refusing to serve in the military is a great danger to Israel.
The refusal wave puts the government in an unparalleled crisis, and this crisis is a huge opportunity. This represents a massive crack in the Israeli mainstream’s conviction that the army is used purely for defense. It is a moment of deep change in the worldviews of the Israeli citizenry, that could allow the anti-occupation movement to show Israelis that a democracy only for some people, is not a democracy at all.
Although this could be a time to celebrate decades of hard work leading to a moment of success, the fight is far from over. The reforms have only been postponed and not cancelled. Netanyahu called for the army to punish the refusers, and to get the majority needed to approve a delay in the legislation, Netanyahu promised an ultra-nationalist party to create a new “national guard” under the control of Itamar Ben Gvir, the leader of an extreme right-wing party. All this means that leveraging the protests to fight the occupation is a challenge, and there is no democracy without an end to the occupation.
Refuser Solidarity Network continues to support local Israeli refusers. We support efforts to use this moment to expand the anti-occupation movement and continue the fight to bring an end to the occupation.
Please help us, and donate to support the refusers.
In solidarity,
Mattan Helman
Executive Director
Refuser Solidarity Network