Israel's Young Conscientious Objectors - Jewish Voice for Peace

Free The Shministim!

ISRAEL'S YOUNG CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS. The Shministim are Israeli high school students who have been imprisoned for refusing to serve in an army that occupies the Palestinian Territories. December 18, 2008 marked the launch date of a global campaign to release them from jail. SHMINISIM 2010: A new Shministim letter has been drafted for 2010, and 88 Israeli young people have signed it. The letter, addressed to Prime Minister Netanyahu, slams the Occupation and asks, Can military rule of a civilian population be considered anything other than a dictatorship?

To learn about this new class of conscientious refusers, go here: http://www.shministim.com/

Below are but a few who refuse to serve the occupation! These Israeli teenagers refuse to take part in an army that illegaly and brutally occupies the Palestinian Territories and are willing to pay the price for our struggle against the occupation and in favor of peace. May God bless and protect each and every one of them.

Name: Or Ben-David
Age: 19
Location: Jerusalem
Why I am one of the Shministim:
I refuse because I want to make a difference. I want all those Palestinian youths who have lost hope to see that there are Israelis who care and who make a different choice. I want all those of my friends who became soldiers or who are about to become soldiers to see that things dont have to be the way they are
Pre-Sentence: 28th Sept. 2009 (7 days of confinement to base)
First Sentence: 29th Oct. 2009 (20 days)
Second Sentence: 16th Nov. 2009 (20 days)
Third Sentence: 15th Dec. 2009 (34 days)

Name: Efi Brener
Age: 18
Location: Rishon Le Zion (a suburb of Tel-Aviv)
Why I am one of the Shministim:
I object to oppression, whether it is committed by a hierarchical organisation, such as the military is, or whether it is committed by the human species against animals.
First Sentence: 22nd Oct. 2009 (10 days)

Name: Yuval Ophir-Auron
Age: 19
Why I am one of the Shministim:
I am convinced that it is no one but ourselves who determines that it is our fate to live by the sword. There is another way, which is not the way of war. This is the path of dialogue, of understanding, of concession, forgiveness, of peace.
I believe that a person should take responsibility and feel reconciled to the way he chooses. This is why I shall not join an army behind whose actions I cannot stand and whose behavior I cannot justify.
First Sentence: 24th Nov. - 5th Dec. 2008
Second Sentence: 7th - 14th December 2008

Name: Raz Bar-David Varon
Age: 18
Why I am one of the Shministim:
I wasnt born to serve as a soldier who occupies another, and the struggle against the occupation is mine too. It is a struggle for hope, for a reality that sometimes feels so far away. I have a responsibility for this society. My responsibility is to refuse.
First Sentence: 3rd - 21st Nov. 2008 (18 days)
Second Sentence: 24th Nov. - 30th Nov. 2008 (6 days)
Third Sentence: 21st Dec. - 9th Jan (currently in prison)

Name: Omer Goldman
Age: 19
Location: Tel-Aviv
Why I am one of the Shministim:
I believe in service to the society I am part of, and that is precisely why I refuse to take part in the war crimes committed by my country. Violence will not bring any kind of solution, and I shall not commit violence, come what may.
First Sentence: 22nd Sept. - 10th Oct. 2008 (18 days)
Second Sentence: 12th - 24th Oct. 2008 (10 days)

Name: Mia Tamarin
Age: 19
Location: Tel-Aviv
Why I am one of the Shministim:
I cannot become part of an organization the purpose of which is to fend off violence by violence, because it stands unequivocally contrary to everything I believe in and to my whole life. There always is another, non-violent option, and it is this option that I choose.
First Sentence: 28th Sept. - 10th Oct. 2008 (12 days)
Second Sentence: 12th - 24th Oct. 2008 (12 days)
Third Sentence: 5th - 23rd Nov 2008 (18 days)

Read more at the official website: http://december18th.org/

December 18th
A Campaign by Jewish Voice for Peace
In Solidarity with Israeli Prisoners of Conscience

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• shministim
• ISRAELI
• CONSCIENTIOUS
• OBJECTORS
• palestine
• gaza
• peace
• war
• crimes
• Netanyahu

[SarahShlomo]

Without the Army, there would be no ISRAEL today...!!!

[AFAskygoddess]

@SarahShlomo ... Let's all pray that the Shministim movement grows so that all the young people growing up in Israel ...MUSLIMS, CHRISTIANS and JEWS... will know a land where aggression and genocide will be replaced with love and peace for all who live in that land.

[abdulmajid88]

Where is the letter? I will sign it right away!

[AFAskygoddess]

@abdulmajid88 ...there is a link to the site in the description of the video. You'll find the letter there.

[msqueenyep]

Lord God help them, help  are babies

[AFAskygoddess]

Amen to that msq!

These are brave young men and women with love in their hearts. They refuse to sacrifice their souls to sacrifice the lives of innocent Muslim and Christian Palestinians.

Words cannot express the respect I have for their moral principles.

[smokeybirdman]

may one day the entire world think like these young Israeli people.

[R1O1S1Y1]

As someone raised Mennonite I totally understand what they are doing and respect and admire their courage and honor. It refreshes my spirit to know there are young people in this world who do what is moral and right, and that I am not alone in this godforsaken corrupt little small town in Kansas.

[aytigirl]

actually of course I hate Israel but one can't deny that people like u who stand against oppression should b respected , thanx alot may God bless u & protect u from those monsters who we'll fight soon isa

[FindingAbundanceLife]

I love you, young Israeli people. It's so hard to find the "peaceful solution" (see Willie Nelson song), but it's possible, it's possible with the help of God all is possible. In bocca al lupo (good luck) - from Italy

[AustriaRollerblading]

Queers!

[Torchmark]

@SarahShlomo and no endless bloodshed

[237Michael]

Bravo!!! It's nice to see that there are young sane people in Israel.

Israel is a Lunatic State... I boycott Israel.

[gedeon66]

usefull idiots for arabs.lol

[jekk23]

Peace to all

[brandenburg2388]

My respect and love goes out to you all!