Hello, my name is Yael. I'm a 19 year old activist from Jerusalem. I am part of the new movement of young Israelis that refuse to serve in the military and stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people. We're called Shministim (Hebrew for Highschool students). I want to tell you about the exciting activities we've been able to accomplish thanks to your support and solidarity.
We focused our energy to work hard and share the message in social nedia, to interact with as many Israelis our age as we can. Thanks to our friends at The Social TV, we made a special video for youth, with discussions about conscientious objection, the illegal siege of Gaza and the human rights violation of the occupation. We want other Israeli teens who think about refusing to know they are not alone, they are not outcasts or criminals, even if the Israeli military tells them so. We launched this video in a special online event. It was thrilling to meet many new faces and speak with other teens about our passion for a better tomorrow for Israelis and Palestinian alike, and out group grew ever since.
Now it’s time to take our message to the world - It’s time to put a stop to the reality in which every refuser is in risk of military jail, and that public solidarity with the Palestinian people is outlawed! We have launched an international solidarity petition, in which people from all around the world (yes, even you!) can send their support and call to stop the imprisonment of conscientious objectors by the Israeli military. We believe that “So long as Palestinians live under an occupation which deprives them of human rights and national rights, we can never achieve peace.”
We know that conscientious objection is our nonviolent opposition to this violent paradigm, and now, we need your help to share it with your friends and colleagues. Together, we become more powerful in the face of oppression, harassment and criminalization. Click here to sign the declaration, and click here to donate to our movement
Your solidarity has made all of these activities possible and we sincerely thank each and every one of our supporters. We hope you can pitch in a few dollars a month here. Such recurring donations, even $5, $10 or $15 a month, really help us to develop our movement, and make sure no refuser is left alone. If you haven't already subscribed to this newsletter - click here
Thank you for your solidarity,
Yael, Shministim letter