Don't overlook Israeli Conscientious Objection

Dear Friends,

With the invasion of Rafah underway, it's easy to overlook that within Israel there are young Israeli Jews choosing prison in protest of their government's war on the Palestinian people and in pursuit of repairing their society, deeply broken from racism, nationalism, and militarism.

Yuval Dag is one of those courageous leaders of the Israeli conscientious objection movement!

After growing up with a nationalist identity, Yuval began to question his privilege and how it was maintained through the oppression of Palestinians. He said: "Resistance begins, first of all, with self-reflection and understanding. With the understanding that by wearing a uniform and symbols of a certain body, you choose to represent that body. With the understanding that enlisting in the army is a political choice, and its meaning is to support the military and political agenda, and to take part in it. The understanding that even a small cog contributes to the system's function."

Yuval decided that he could not in good conscience accept his military conscription. He spent two months in prison for his refusal to serve and today works with the Israeli Refusers Solidarity Network to support other Israeli Jewish Refusniks.

What makes Yuval and his fellow Refuseniks action so exceptional is that, while there are avenues to avoid military conscription and service in Israel, they are choosing prison bars as the best way they can have an impact for liberation.

The Ukrainian Pacifist Movement is a proud co-sponsor of an Emergency Forum with Conscientious Objector Yuval Dag, hosted by Fellowship of Reconciliation - USA, which has been organised for 23 May at 1 pm (EST).

Please join us for this urgent and important Zoom conversation with Yuval hosted by Ariel Gold of FOR- USA and Diana Oestreich of Red Letter Christians.

In peace and solidarity,

Yurii Sheliazhenko

Executive secretary of Ukrainian Pacifist Movement

Register at: https://events.worldbeyondwar.org/event/webinar-emergency-forum-with-israeli-conscientious-objector-yuval-dag/