An 18-year-old Israeli activist has been sentenced to 30 days in navy jail after he refused to enlist within the Israeli military amid the continued Israel-Hamas struggle.
“I consider that slaughter can’t resolve slaughter,” stated Tal Mitnick earlier than he walked into Tel HaShomer navy base, in line with a video posted on the X account of Mesarvot, a corporation that connects younger Israelis who don’t need to serve within the state navy. “The felony assault on Gaza gained’t resolve the atrocious slaughter that Hamas executed. Violence gained’t resolve violence. And that’s the reason I refuse.”
A bunch of individuals gathered in solidarity with Mitnick earlier than he entered the navy base the place he was set to be arrested on Tuesday. His jail sentence could also be prolonged previous the preliminary 30 days if he once more refuses to enlist.
The choice comes throughout a interval of despair for Gazans who stay topic to bombs and assaults by Israeli forces practically 12 weeks after the struggle started. Greater than 20,000 Palestinians have been killed, in line with numbers supplied by the Hamas-run Gaza Well being Ministry on Friday. A United Nations report has additionally warned that greater than half one million individuals in Gaza are ravenous, with the danger of famine rising each day.
“On the seventh of october, Israeli society skilled a trauma the likes of which was not identified within the historical past of the nation…After the terrorist assault, a revenge marketing campaign started not solely in opposition to Hamas, however in opposition to all Palestinian individuals,” stated Mitnick in an announcement shared by The Intercept journalist Prem Thakker. “I refuse to consider that extra violence will convey safety, I refuse to participate in a struggle of revenge.
Refuseniks, or individuals who refuse to serve within the navy, are usually not quite common in Israel, although there was press round earlier dissent years previous to the continued struggle. Earlier this yr, a whole lot of Israeli teenagers refused to hitch the military as a approach to protest the federal government’s plan for a judicial overhaul that they stated would flip the nation into an undemocratic nation.
“We should cease the judicial overhaul and we should cease participating in a navy that serves settlements and the occupation,” stated Mitnick in September, previous to the struggle.
Israeli regulation requires all Israeli residents over the age of 18 which might be Jewish, Druze or Circassian to serve within the Israel Protection Forces (IDF), with some exceptions for Israeli Arabs, spiritual ladies, married {couples} or for people who find themselves medically or mentally unfit, in line with the IDF’s web site. Some ultra-orthodox Jews, like Haredi Jews, are additionally exempt from serving within the navy
Males are anticipated to serve at the least 32 months, whereas ladies should serve a minimal of 24.
Israel has one of many largest navy on the earth, The Worldwide Institute for Strategic Research’ Navy stability 2023 stated there have been practically 170,000 energetic navy personnel, although the military has many a whole lot of hundreds extra in reserve that they’ll usher in for supplemental support.