Israel

One year ago today, a new phase in the generations-long conflict in Palestine began.

In recent weeks we have seen a number of significant acts of violence that have directly impacted WRI affiliates. We want to draw attention to two of them – not to compare them (they are radically different in scale, context and level of brutality), but to highlight the way different manifestations of militarism around the world are interconnected, even when they are being experienced in very different contexts nearly 14,000km apart.

I started writing this blog post after reading an article about another bombing in Gaza... but I’m also writing this after sitting in front of my computer for years, reading what feels like the same story again and again.

Following the horrendous attacks by Hamas in Israel on October 7th, and the reciprocal violence by the Israeli Defence Force and settlers in the West Bank, we met with Tarteel Al Junaidi, a member of the Christian Peacemaker Teams based in Hebron, to find out more about the situation there, and the work her organisation is doing.

On Tuesday, 23rd January, conscientious objector Tal Mitnick, 18, from Israel was imprisoned again for his refusal to serve in the military. This is Tal’s second imprisonment and he was sentenced to 30 more days in military prison. He will have spent 60 days behind bars in total upon completion of his second term in prison.

On December 26th, Tal Mitnick, an 18-year-old from Tel Aviv, became the first Israeli conscientious objector imprisoned for their refusal to serve in the army since the start of the war in Gaza. Mitnick declared his conscientious objection at the Tel Hashomer recruitment center and subsequently received a 30-day sentence in military prison.

The WRI Executive Committee calls for the end of all violence – both the acts of war as well as the structural violence of occupation and oppression – and the release of all captives, political prisoners and hostages on both sides of the conflict in Israel/Palestine.

Watch the interviews with conscientious objectors Tal Mitnick and Sahar Vardi who took part in the peace demonstration calling for ceasefire in Gaza, held in Tel Aviv on 18th November 2023. 

WRI executive statement on the escalation of violence in Israel-Palestine, October 2023

As full scale war again returns to Israel-Palestine, we turn to the WRI founding statement, that “War is a crime against humanity. I am therefore determined not to support any kind of war, and to strive for the removal of all causes of war.” 

As reported by Mesarvot and the Refuser Solidarity Network, in mid-February, Shahar Schwartz and Evyatar Moshe Rubin were released after 120 days in prison and received an exception to military service. However, the refuser Nave Shabtay Levin (19 y/o) is still incarcerated, after being sentenced to an additional 45 days in prison.

This Thursday, 1st December, is Prisoners for Peace Day, a day to show solidarity with those activists who have been imprisoned for their work for peace and conscientious objectors imprisoned for their refusal to take up arms.

This year, we want to highlight the situation of many people in Russia and Ukraine that are imprisoned or facing imprisonment for resisting the current war in Ukraine. 

You can find the list of Prisoners for Peace here.

This Thursday, 1st December, is Prisoners for Peace Day, a day to show solidarity with those activists who have been imprisoned for their work for peace and conscientious objectors imprisoned for their refusal to take up arms. See a list of those imprisoned for their peace activism and conscientious objection here.