military service

File photo of Matan Helman (Photo by Edo Ramon/Mesarvot)

‘With my head held high’: Conscientious objector freed after 110 days in prison

The Israeli army had sentenced Helman to six separate prison sentences for his refusal to be conscripted into the military and, in his words, ‘take part in the occupation and Israel’s policies of oppression vis-a-vis the Palestinians.’ Conscientious objector Matan Helman was discharged from the Israeli army on Thursday after six stints in prison adding…

By Orly Noy April 27, 2018

Israeli conscientious objector Atalya Ben-Abba. (Yona Benstein)

IDF releases conscientious objector after 110 days in prison

Atalya Ben-Abba went to prison rather than be conscripted into the Israeli army because of her refusal to take part in the occupation. By +972 Magazine Staff The Israeli army released conscientious objector Atalya Ben-Abba from mandatory military service on Tuesday after she spent 110 days in military prison for refusing to be drafted. Ben-Abba…

By +972 Magazine June 27, 2017

Soldiers and relatives mourn at the grave of Israeli Sergeant Banaya Rubel during his funeral on July 20, 2014 in Holon, Israel. (Oren Ziv/Activestills.org)

An open letter to a future Israeli soldier

I honestly believe you want the best for this country, but if you care about the Israeli society, there are other ways to make a difference. Joining the IDF only perpetuates the status quo — one that is bad for Israel and much worse for Palestinians. By Ido Liven Congratulations. You are 18 years old today.…

By +972 Magazine March 19, 2017

Latest

Tamar Alon and Tamar Ze’evi stand outside the IDF’s Tel Hashomer induction base where they were expected to declare their refusal to serve in the army, and be sentenced to prison, Tel Aviv, November 16, 2016. (Haggai Matar)

Israeli conscientious objectors sent to military prison for second time

The two young women already spent seven days in prison for refusing to take part in the occupation. An IDF tribunal sentenced two Israeli conscientious objectors, Tamar Alon and Tamar Ze’evi, to 10 days in military prison on Monday for refusing to serve in the Israeli occupation. Two weeks ago, the young women declared their…

By Haggai Matar November 28, 2016

Uriel Ferera, 19-year-old orthodox Jew from Beer Sheva, enters Tel Ha'Shomer Military Base, where he will announce his refusal to draft to Israeli army service, April 27, 2014. Uriel says he refuses to take part in the occupation and that his request for civil service instead of a military one was rejected by the army.

Freed Israeli conscientious objector: They tried to break me

Uriel Ferera says he doesn’t feel like he lost the 177 days that he spent in military prison. ‘The opposite. I fought for my principles — to not lend a hand to the occupation.’ By Daniel Beller After 177 days in Israeli military prison and 10 trials, ideological conscientious objector Uriel Ferera is a free man. When…

By +972 Magazine December 23, 2014

New IDF conscripts put on uniforms for the first time, November 20, 2006. (Photo by IDF Spokesperson)

‘Draft dodger law’ robs Israel’s poor of higher education

The vast majority of draft dodgers and deserters refuse to serve for economic reasons. Those youngsters, who already come from Israel’s weakest communities, are the ones who will be harmed most by a new law that strips them of funds for higher education. By Sahar Vardi While clashes between in East Jerusalem took place surrounding…

By +972 Magazine November 18, 2014

Druze conscientious objector Urawa Jaleb Saif, June 15, 2014, Haifa. (Photo by Oren Ziv/Activestills.org)

[WATCH] Druze refusal in the Israeli army (part 1): A history lesson

According to the mainstream Israeli narrative the Druze population in Israel is loyal to and maintains an alliance with the state, the most famous element of which includes mandatory military service. But is that really the whole story? The first episode in a four-part series looking at Druze in Israel, their relationship with the security…

By Social TV November 16, 2014

Three Israeli refuseniks. Their T-shirts read: "We See. We Hear. We Refuse,” Tel Aviv, October 16th, 2009. (Photo by Keren Manor/Activestills.org)

WATCH: When refusing army service is a privileged position

A group of 50 Israeli high school seniors recently sent letters to the prime minister declaring that they will refuse to serve in the army on ideological grounds. But refusing to serve the occupation can be a privileged position, one that is not afforded to various groups of Israelis of certain socioeconomic and religious backgrounds. …

By Social TV April 7, 2014

Soldiers from the IDF's Egoz Reconnaissance Unit, which specializes in guerrilla warfare in southern Lebanon. (Illustrative photo: IDF Spokesperson/Flickr)

WATCH: Is the IDF the ‘great equalizer’ of Israeli society?

One of the foundational myths of the State of Israel is that regardless of one’s ethnic or socio-economic background, recruitment into the army was the way to create social mobility that would place everyone on an equal playing field. Today, minority groups such as Ethiopian, Bedouin and Druze continue trying to integrate into society through…

By Social TV January 13, 2014

Palestinian citizens cannot be expected to serve Jewish state

By Fady Khoury In an earlier post, I argued that the expectation for Palestinian citizens of Israel to serve in the army or in any alternative service lacks moral justification. I will elaborate on this argument here. It goes as follows: If (1) national service is an alternative to military service; And (2) there is…

By +972 Magazine January 15, 2012