60 Israeli High School Seniors: "We Will Not be Soldiers of the Israeli Occupation!"

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We are a group of Israeli 18-year-olds at a crossroads. The Israeli state is demanding our conscription into the military. Allegedly, a defense force which is supposed to safeguard the existence of the State of Israel. In reality, the goal of the Israeli military is not to defend itself from hostile militaries, but to exercise control over a civilian population. In other words, our conscription to the Israeli military has political context and implications. It has implications, first and foremost on the lives of the Palestinian people who have lived under violent occupation for 72 years.

The military is a violent, corrupt, and corrupting institution to the core. But its worst crime is enforcing the destructive policy of the occupation of Palestine. Young people our age are required to take part in enforcing closures as a means of “collective punishment,” arresting and jailing minors, blackmailing to recruit “collaborators” and more. Violent military rule in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is enforced through policies of apartheid entailing two different legal systems.

We are calling for high school seniors our age to ask themselves: What and who are we serving when we enlist in the military? Why do we enlist? What reality do we create by serving in the military of the occupation? We want peace, and real peace requires justice. Justice requires acknowledgment of the historical and present injustices, and of the continuing Nakba. Justice demands solidarity, joint struggle, and refusal.

We are called the "Shministim Group", and last Tuesday we sent our refusal declaration to the Israeli PM.

How can you help?

Subscribe to receive updates about our campaign and activism:

bit.ly/Shministim21

Read our full declaration: https://shministim.github.io/

Donate to help our group:

bit.ly/refusers-solidarity

PS - you can read our full statement here

(Photo: Oren Ziv/Activestills)