One of the many fascinating meetings we had on the West Bank was with Peretz Kidron of the refusnik organization Yesh Gvul. This was yet another opportunity to hear from and about Israeli Jews who objected to the occupation of the Palestinian territories. This is another chapter of the story that we seldom hear about in the West.
Simply put, “Yesh Gvul (There is a limit!) is an Israeli peace group campaigning against the occupation by backing soldiers who refuse duties of a repressive or aggressive nature.”
Every Israeli over the age of eighteen faces mandatory military service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF); three years for men and two for women. Following this regular service, reserve service of up to one month annually is required until the age of 43–45, and reservists may be called up for active duty immediately in times of crisis.
The IDF was officially formed in 1948. However, following the war of 1967 the duty changed from defense of a nation to the “policing” of the Occupied Territories. This led to the uniquely Israeli concept of selective refusal. Unlike pacifist or conscientious objectors, “refusniks” recognize that circumstances may create the need for legitimate force, “as in defense against external aggression, or in pursuit of national liberation from foreign tyranny. But it rejects the abuse of military might for unworthy ends, such as wars of aggression, or violent subjugation of a civilian population.” This led to Israeli conscripts reporting for duty and accepting postings anywhere except in Gaza or the West Bank. Many of these conscripts were faced with the internal conflict of protesting the occupation for eleven months of the year, and enforcing it for the remaining one month. In effect, refusniks agreed to any duty that didn’t serve the occupation. After all, the “D” in IDF stood for Defense, and not Occupation.
Those who refused such service faced a military trial and imprisonment, a sentiment which at the time seemed to be in agreement with public opinion.
The refusnik movement gained more traction in 1982 following the invasion of Lebanon. The invasion generated refusal on a larger scale, as 170 people were sent to prison over Lebanon alone.
Refusal continues today and is a very powerful form of protest. In Israel there isn’t much press coverage of peace rallies, but when an individual puts themselves on the line by refusing service, it seems to get the public’s attention. This individualization of the issue helps. When 1000 people march in a protest, nobody cares. But one person with a story ignites interest, so Yesh Gvuk tells their stories. The refusal movement also has a powerful effect on the greater peace movement. And it has a direct effect on decision-making. For example it seems the government’s fear of the movement had a lot to do with the IDF’s withdrawal from Lebanon.
Today some young people are beginning to refuse to join the Army in any capacity, seeing it as an army of occupation alone now. This is become enough of a problem that every school in Israel is assigned an IDF officer to shepherd young people around these issues.
Admittedly there’s not much strategy involved, and Peretz called the movement more of a response to external circumstances. Yesh Gvul organizes vigils for incarcerated refusniks, and arranges for limited financial support of the families of those jailed. To date there have been more than 4000 Israeli citizens who have refused service, at least on a selective basis, and about 1000 of them have been jailed. It is not “hard” jail time, but the social ramifications are extensive. The stigma can result in lost jobs, missed promotions, and even being disowned.
The point of this post is simply to continue to educate those of us in the West who accept the biased view of Israel that we are given. There are many Israelis who do not approve of the policies of their own government when it comes to the Palestinian people. And as Christians it certainly behooves us to investigate the facts on the ground and decide for ourselves if these policies deserve the blanket endorsement that many segments of the church have given to Israel.
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