We are happy to report that after over 120 days in prison, Shahar Schwartz and Evyatar Moshe Rubin finally received an exemption from military service! Congratulate Shahar and Evyatar on receiving an exemption by clicking on this link.
Shahar (18 y/o) and Evyatar (19 y/o), the conscientious objectors who refused to participate in war crimes by an occupying army, and who were supported, throughout, by Mesarvot (an Israeli support network for draft refusers who oppose the occupation), received an exemption from the Israeli military on the basis of the "Severely bad behavior" clause.
We want to thank you, all of our international supporters, for your solidarity and for the hundreds of support letters you sent to the refusers during their time in prison.
Congratulate Shahar and Evyatar on receiving an exemption!
Here is what Shahar and Evyatar have to say:
Shahar Schwartz after 130 days in a military prison:
"I'm glad that the long months in prison are over, where I learned up close what it is like to lose your freedom. This experience only strengthened my opposition to the predatory regime enforced by the Israeli army in the Palestinian Territories, and I continue to believe that oppression should be resisted even at personal cost.”
Evyatar Moshe Rubin after 122 days in a military prison:
"In an age where access to information is so widespread, refusal becomes an increasingly powerful tool. To me, the great battle regarding Israel is a battle for information - if only everyone knew the truth about the history of this country, about the terrible crimes that are committed here every day to maintain the racial dominance, the apartheid regime in the occupied territories would not last until the end of the year. As a result of my incarceration, I saw not only many of my friends in Israel being exposed to new content and information, but also people abroad, an equally important arena for this struggle, who are more and more aware of the situation in Israel due to the publications and widespread support for refusers, especially on social media."
Congratulate Shahar and Evyatar on receiving an exemption!
Shahar and Evyatar were indeed released, but the refuser Nave Shabtay Levin (19 y/o) is still incarcerated, after being sentenced to an additional 45 days in prison.
Millions of Palestinians throughout the West Bank and the Gaza Strip are also not free. Mesarvot, Refuser Solidarity Network and conscientious objectors throughout Israel will continue to fight and to raise our voices against the policies that keep them imprisoned and oppressed, and against the Israeli army that carries out those crimes.