Israel

In a webinar on June 22, 2022, refusers Shahar Perets and Eran Aviv will explain their approaches to conscientious objection in Israel and address the importance of conscientious objection to a peace and reconciliation process in the Middle East.

This is a list of those who are currently in prison for their conscientious objection to military service and their work for peace.

Here is a list of some of those currently in prison for their work for peace.

Conscientious objector Eran Aviv from Israel got his exemption from military service after spending 114 days behind bars.

Eran, 19, declared his conscientious objection in May 2021, stating his refusal to serve in the Israeli military due to his opposition to the occupation. Since his refusal, Eran has spent a total of 114 days in military prison in six separate terms. 

Read the stories of Shahar Peretz,18, and Eran Aviv, 19, who are currently serving time in prison for their conscientious objection to military service. Shahar and Eran describe how young people in Israel, from an early age, are habituated through school and the wider society to their joining the IDF, and their refusal to take part in the occupation and the cycle of violence.

Unionised dockworkers in the ports of Livorno and Naple have refused to load a shipment of arms destined for the Israeli port of Ashdod, in a show of solidarity with Palestinians facing a military attack from the Israeli Defence Force.

Activists from the UK group Plaestine Action have shut down a factory run by Israeli arms company Elbit, in solidarity with Palestinians.

Amnesty International has identified a sub-machine gun used by security services in Myanmar against unarmed nonviolent protesters as a BA-94 or BA-93 Uzi clone.

The webinar series Campaigning for Conscientious Objection to Military Service continue with a new event on 30th March (4pm BST, 5pm CEST, 6pm Cyprus and Israel). On this webinar, we will be focusing on public awareness with activists from Cyprus, Israel and Finland presenting their campaigns on conscientious objection.

A new database of Israeli military and security exports – www.dimse.info - has been launched. The new database, developed by the American Friends Service Committee, is a tool for journalists, academics, campaigners, and other civil society actors critical of Israel’s arms export and its effect on human rights around the world.

On 5th January, sixty teenagers from Israel published an open letter declaring their refusal to serve in the army in protest of the policies of occupation and apartheid of the Israeli State.

A new report published by an international coalition of peace organisations explores the way arms companies in Europe and Israel are fuelling violence in Mexico.