We’ve often worked closely with our supporters to provide direct support to the brave Israelis refusing to serve in the Israeli army. Today, we want to share an example of other kinds of work RSN is involved in the effort to build a mass civil resistance movement, in particular the refuser movement, to end the occupation of the Palestinians. We’re now launching a crowdfunding campaign to support these activities, and hope to raise $20,000 to fund them through the end of the year.
A central pillar of the current Israeli government is a fascist party led by West Bank settlers, and many elements of its legislative agenda are designed to facilitate the occupation regime in the West Bank. The realization, that without an end to the military occupation of the Palestinians there will be no democracy in Israel, has dawned on many Israelis who identify as centrist liberals.
A new crop of activist groups has sprung up to channel this energy. One example is Mothers Against Violence (MAV), a grassroots group with chapters across Israel. With their yellow vests, they are a visible presence at every pro-democracy protest, working to defuse potentially violent encounters with the police and right-wing counter protesters. In parallel they operate a humanitarian support project for the Palestinian residents of Masafer Yatta, a West Bank community that is a locus of Israeli displacement efforts.
The Mothers long term goal is ending the occupation. They have explicitly called on Israelis to refuse service in the West Bank. In recent weeks, as settler violence against West Bank Palestinians has escalated, they’ve launched a new public campaign: Get the Soldiers Out! Targeting parents of Israeli Army conscripts, the campaign warns of the legal jeopardy threatening soldiers providing security for settler attacks (particularly following their designation as nationalist terrorism), as well as communicating current research on the high levels of PTSD exhibited by soldiers who served in this role.
RSN has identified the mothers as a unique and effective voice within Israeli public discourse. Because of their unique position as mothers and grandmothers of soldiers, their calls for refusal have generated traction among audiences not normally associated with the anti-occupation positions. We believe that they will form an important component of a mass refusal movement.
Over the past few months we’ve worked with the Mothers’ leadership to find the most effective way to support the group. MAV believes that remaining a very lean volunteer organization, with no staff or offices, is essential to maintaining their effectiveness. They’ve requested that RSN help build their outreach and fundraising capacity, without compromising who they are as an organization.
Drawing on the cadre of refusers we’ve supported over the past two decades, we’ve managed to recruit a number of mentors with the requisite experience and skills to help MAV build their capacity. Over the next six months, RSN mentors will work with MAV and a new group of reservist refusers to ensure that they have the tools to make the most of this political juncture’s potential to significantly expand the anti-occupation movement.
We need your help to fund this effort, please consider donating via this link.
In solidarity,
Mattan Helman
Executive Director
Refuser Solidarity Network