Israeli Military Refusers
We joined with the Refuser Solidarity Network on Sunday, February 16th of 2025 to learn about the network of military refusers, conscientious objectors, and draft resistors defying forced military conscription in Israel. Since 2003 the Refuser Solidarity Network has amplified the voices of Israeli conscientious objectors and provided them crucial support in difficult circumstances. This includes jail support, legal fees, media campaigns, and education programs for Israeli and global audiences about their important resistance to ongoing military occupation.
Since the assault on Gaza began in October 2023 a growing number of teenage objectors had refused compulsory conscription into the Israeli army and served time in military prison. Many of them were active in feminist refuser solidarity networks critical of militarism, state violence, patriarchy, and the ongoing Nakba. We were honored to join with two prominent members who worked to support this new wave of draft resistors:
Atalya Ben-Abba is the social media coordinator of the Refuser Solidarity Network and administers the page Voices Against War. She publicly refused military service in 2017 and spent 110 days in military prison. Since then she has been active in solidary accompaniment, protective presence, and coresistance efforts in the Jordan Valley, South Hebron Hills, and Jerusalem.
Sahar Vardi is a human rights defender whose activism began as a member of Anarchists Against The Wall supporting the popular struggle of Palestinians in Area C. She is known for her participation in a variety of organizations including the American Friends Service Committee, Free Jerusalem, and other initiatives challenging unbridled militarism in Israeli society. In 2008 she served three prison sentences for her refusal to be conscripted into the Israeli military. This recording of the webinar is free and open to the public, but you can become a member of the Green Olive Collective at the following link to sustain our work to challenge the violence of occupation: https://members.greenolivecollective.com/become-a-member/
