Hello, my name is Yuval and I have been a part of Mesarvot’s network since it’s early days. I refused Israeli military service in 2014. Over the past few years, Mesarvot has been making a public stand against the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and has been providing support for brave young refusers in their struggle against the militarism of Israeli society. We have stood strong together, facing backlash from the public and the army, risking going to jail for our belief in a truly democratic society, that treats all people as equals and provides human rights to everyone between the Jordan river and the Mediterranean sea.
We have been making our stand clear in the media and through protests, making sure our voice is heard. This is becoming more difficult as time goes by. During late March, Israel had another election which showed the worrisome direction our government is taking as rightwing extremists entered the knesset. Our work is more crucial than ever.
Conscientious objection is our way to show we are not willing to silently accept the atrocities that are happening in the West Bank and Gaza and we will not let them go unnoticed by the Israeli public! With support and solidarity from you and people all around the world, we have been able to lift the spirits of incarcerated refusers and help them through difficult times in jail. We have become a home and a community showing that together each of us is stronger and our individual contribution for equality is amplified.
This May I have the opportunity to invite you to get to know our community! Together with Eyewitness Palestine, we have organized virtual delegations for you to learn all about our work. In the meetings I will present what it is like to be a refuser in Israeli society. You will get to see some of the protests we held on enlistment days of various members of our movement, media coverage of our work and videos of us sharing our stories. Afterwards we will have an open discussion about everything you always wanted to ask and didn’t get a chance to! You can sign up through this link https://bit.ly/32oAsDi. Everyone is welcome so please make sure to share the registration link with friends and family as well.
I’m also happy to share with you that last week the Yesh-Gvul movement held the annual beacon lighting event that takes place every year at the start of Israel's independence day as a just alternative to Israel’s official torch lighting ceremony. Yesh-Gvul’s event celebrates the values of a just, egalitarian and moral nation and honors activists who are working to stop the occupation and the oppression of the Palestinian people. This year, Hallel Rabin, who was incarcerated for 56 days for refusing conscription, and Yael Amber, a part of the Shministim teen group who oppose military service, are two of the activists who were honored in the event and invited to light the beacons.
Sincerely yours,
Yuval