Latest news with #conscription
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Meet the refusers: The Israeli teenagers risking jail, friendships and family to refuse conscription to the IDF
Six months in an Israeli military prison and branded a traitor by friends; it has been a tough year for Itamar Greenberg. The 19-year-old Israeli Jew made the rare decision to refuse conscription to the IDF last August as it waged its devastating war in Gaza. Instead, Itamar accepted half a year behind bars alongside military criminals. 'I have lost friends, sadly,' he tells The Independent. 'I have a lot of friends who are soldiers, some of them decided to cut our connection. They actually think I'm a traitor. I understand what they feel, but obviously I don't agree.' Since his release four months ago, Itamar has continued supporting fellow young refusers willing to risk ostracisation from Israeli society by defying the mandatory order for all Jewish, Druze or Circassian citizens of Israel to serve years with the IDF. Men must serve at least 32 months in the army, while women must serve at least 24 months. Israeli Arabs, religious women, married individuals, and those deemed medically or mentally unfit are exempt from compulsory military service, the IDF says on its website. Last Tuesday, a group of young refusers burnt their army draft letters during a rally in Tel Aviv. Another protest also took place in Jerusalem on Tuesday this week, when ultra-orthodox Jews blocked a highway to protest military conscription – although their objection is centred around protecting their strong religious identity, as opposed to conscientious objections to the IDF's actions in Gaza. The refuser movement, activists say, is growing. But Itamar says they remain on the fringes, despised by some, disliked by many. The fear of being jailed, and of being shunned to the periphery of Israeli society after their release, drives many young adults who disagree with the IDF's actions to join the army nonetheless. 'I have friends that are afraid of going to prison and some of them are in the army,' Itamar explains. 'Some don't want to be in the army. They think it's immoral. They are joining it because they are afraid of Israeli society and the consequences on their social life.' Itamar recalls one of his good friends who came close to refusing service. When his family told him he would be kicked out of the house if he did not serve, the friend gave in – and is now with the IDF. Family life is complicated for Itamar, too. The son of an army officer, he avoids engaging in debates around politics and activism while at home, choosing instead to remain silent while his father discusses his work. 'He's proud of it, all of the family are proud of it,' Itamar says, explaining that bringing his activist views inside the family home would only damage their relationship to no avail. Last week's rally, which saw dozens take to the streets in support of a handful of young Israelis who set their draft on fire, came at a time of increasing international pressure on Israel. Starvation has torn through the devastated enclave, killing dozens of children, Palestinian health officials say. In recent weeks, catastrophic levels of hunger have seen the first hunger-related deaths spiral – something experts and UN officials say is a result of Israel's blockade on aid entering Gaza has pushed the strip to the brink of famine. Israel says the hunger crisis is because of a 'man-made shortage' of food, which is 'engineered by Hamas', Palestinian health officials say the IDF has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians since its bombardment began on 7 October 2023, soon after Hamas-led attacks killed around 1,200 Israelis and saw 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli figures. For the few on the Israeli left who have refused service on ideological grounds, the ongoing destruction in Gaza has added an unique complexity to their daily lives. 'It's very complicated to live in a society, to walk in the street and you know that most people around you are war criminals, or taking part in genocide,' Itamar says. Most Israelis who want the war to end, he adds, don't care about the lives of Palestinians, but rather they 'want the soldiers back home; they're afraid for their lives'. Yona Roseman, 19, was among those to burn her draft letter last week. She expects to be jailed when her conscription date passes in 24 days. 'It's scary,' she says of a looming stint in prison. Yona's parents, while they have come to understand her choice, were initially not very supportive of her decision. 'But I don't have any second thoughts about it. It's very much what needs to be done.' Like Itamar, Yona says the decision has made her an 'outcast' in Israel. 'It's a decision which takes you out of mainstream society. I have friends from my class who cut ties with me over my decision. My social circle these days is made up of people who are with me in this sort of activism, so I have a community, but it's disconnected from the rest of society.' Yona and Itamar are tentative in their hopes for any significant change in public mood in Israel. They both note that interest in the refuser movement is growing, but Yona believes that almost everyone who could have refused would have done so by now. 'I don't know what could change for them to stop showing up and fighting,' she says. Instead, the young activists hope that those who are already serving in the army will turn their backs on it. Itamar speaks of a friend who serves in the IDF and is 'not a leftist'. He says the friend recently messaged into a group chat: 'I don't know how to say it, but it's started to look like we're doing genocide.' Yona also has friends in the IDF who tell her that they lack the bravery to be a refuser. 'I feel for them, but really, they should just get out of that. It's not an easy process, but it's not a complicated decision.' But despite being part of an ostracised group in Israeli society, losing several friends and spending a six-month stint in prison, Itamar wishes he could do more. He says: 'I just feel that I don't do enough, even though almost all my life has been for stopping [occupation]. I just don't know how.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Meet the Refusers: The Israeli teenagers risking jail, friendships and family to refuse conscription to the IDF
Six months in an Israeli military prison and branded a traitor by friends; it has been a tough year for Itamar Greenberg. The 19-year-old Israeli Jew made the rare decision to refuse conscription to the IDF last August as it waged its devastating war in Gaza. Instead, Itamar accepted half a year behind bars alongside military criminals. 'I have lost friends, sadly,' he tells The Independent. 'I have a lot of friends who are soldiers, some of them decided to cut our connection. They actually think I'm a traitor. I understand what they feel, but obviously I don't agree.' Since his release four months ago, Itamar has continued supporting fellow young refusers willing to risk ostracisation from Israeli society by defying the mandatory order for all Jewish, Druze or Circassian citizens of Israel to serve years with the IDF. Men must serve at least 32 months in the army while women must serve at least 24 months. Israeli Arabs, religious women, married individuals, and those deemed medically or mentally unfit are exempt from compulsory military service, the IDF says on its website. Last Tuesday, a group of young refusers burnt their army draft letters during a rally in Tel Aviv. Another protest also took place in Jerusalem on Tuesday this week, when ultra-orthodox Jews blocked a highway to protest military conscription - although their objection is centred around protecting their strong religious identity, as opposed to conscientious objections to the IDF's actions in Gaza. The refuser movement, activists say, is growing. But Itamar says they remain on the fringes, despised by some, disliked by many. The fear of being jailed, and of being shunned to the periphery of Israeli society after their release, drives many young adults who disagree with the IDF's actions to join the army nonetheless. 'I have friends that are afraid of going to prison and some of them are in the army,' Itamar explains. 'Some don't want to be in the army. They think it's immoral. They are joining it because they are afraid of Israeli society and the consequences on their social life.' Itamar recalls one of his good friends who came close to refusing service. When his family told him he would be kicked out of the house if he did not serve, the friend gave in - and is now with the IDF. Family life is complicated for Itamar too. The son of an army officer, he avoids engaging in debates around politics and activism while at home, choosing instead silence while his father discusses his work. 'He's proud of it, all of the family are proud of it,' Itamar says, explaining that bringing his activist views inside the family home would only damage their relationship to no avail. Last week's rally, which saw dozens take to the streets in support of a handful of young Israelis who set their drafts on fire, came at a time of increasing international pressure on Israel. Starvation has torn through the devastated enclave, killing dozens of children, Palestinian health officials say. In recent weeks, catastrophic levels of hunger have seen the first hunger-related deaths spiral - something experts and UN officials say is a result of Israel's blockade on aid entering Gaza has pushed the strip to the brink of famine. Israel says the hunger crisis is because of a 'man-made shortage' of food which is 'engineered by Hamas', Palestinian health officials say the IDF has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians since its bombardment began on 7 October 2023, soon after Hamas-led attacks killed around 1,200 Israelis and saw 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli figures. For the few on the Israeli left who have refused service on ideological grounds, the ongoing destruction in Gaza has added an unique complexity to their daily lives. 'It's very complicated to live in a society, to walk in the street and you know that most people around you are war criminals, or taking part in genocide,' Itamar says. Most Israelis who want the war to end, he adds, don't care about the lives of Palestinians, but rather they 'want the soldiers back home; they're afraid for their lives'. Yona Roseman, 19, was among those to burn her draft letter last week. She expects to be jailed when her conscription date passes in 24 days. 'It's scary,' she says of a looming stint in prison. Yona's parents, while they have come to understand her choice, were initially not very supportive of her decision. 'But I don't have any second thoughts about it. It's very much what needs to be done.' Like Itamar, Yona says the decision has made her an 'outcast' in Israel. 'It's a decision which takes you out of mainstream society. I have friends from my class who cut ties with me over my decision. My social circle these days is made up of people who are with me in this sort of activism, so I have a community, but it's disconnected from the rest of society.' Yona and Itamar are tentative in their hopes for any significant change in public mood in Israel. They both note that interest in the refuser movement is growing, but Yona believes that almost everyone who could have refused would have done so by now already. 'I don't know what could change for them to stop showing up and fighting,' she says. Instead, the young activists hope that those who are already serving in the army will turn their backs on it. Itamar speaks of a friend who serves in the IDF and is 'not a leftist'. He says the friend recently messaged into a group chat: 'I don't know how to say it, but it's started to look like we're doing genocide.' Yona also has friends in the IDF who tell her that they lack the bravery to be a refuser. 'I feel for them, but really, they should just get out of that. It's not an easy process, but it's not a complicated decision.' But despite being part of an ostracised group in Israeli society, losing a number of friends and spending a six-month stint in prison, Itamar wishes he could do more. He says: 'I just feel that I don't do enough, even though almost all my life has been for stopping [occupation]. I just don't know how.'
The Independent
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Meet the Refusers: The Israeli teenagers risking jail, friendships and family to refuse conscription to the IDF
Six months in an Israeli military prison and branded a traitor by friends; it has been a tough year for Itamar Greenberg. The 19-year-old Israeli Jew made the rare decision to refuse conscription to the IDF last August as it waged its devastating war in Gaza. Instead, Itamar accepted half a year behind bars alongside military criminals. 'I have lost friends, sadly,' he tells The Independent. 'I have a lot of friends who are soldiers, some of them decided to cut our connection. They actually think I'm a traitor. I understand what they feel, but obviously I don't agree.' Since his release four months ago, Itamar has continued supporting fellow young refusers willing to risk ostracisation from Israeli society by defying the mandatory order for all Jewish, Druze or Circassian citizens of Israel to serve years with the IDF. Men must serve at least 32 months in the army while women must serve at least 24 months. Israeli Arabs, religious women, married individuals, and those deemed medically or mentally unfit are exempt from compulsory military service, the IDF says on its website. Last Tuesday, a group of young refusers burnt their army draft letters during a rally in Tel Aviv. Another protest also took place in Jerusalem on Tuesday this week, when ultra-orthodox Jews blocked a highway to protest military conscription - although their objection is centred around protecting their strong religious identity, as opposed to conscientious objections to the IDF's actions in Gaza. The refuser movement, activists say, is growing. But Itamar says they remain on the fringes, despised by some, disliked by many. The fear of being jailed, and of being shunned to the periphery of Israeli society after their release, drives many young adults who disagree with the IDF's actions to join the army nonetheless. 'I have friends that are afraid of going to prison and some of them are in the army,' Itamar explains. 'Some don't want to be in the army. They think it's immoral. They are joining it because they are afraid of Israeli society and the consequences on their social life.' Itamar recalls one of his good friends who came close to refusing service. When his family told him he would be kicked out of the house if he did not serve, the friend gave in - and is now with the IDF. Family life is complicated for Itamar too. The son of an army officer, he avoids engaging in debates around politics and activism while at home, choosing instead silence while his father discusses his work. 'He's proud of it, all of the family are proud of it,' Itamar says, explaining that bringing his activist views inside the family home would only damage their relationship to no avail. Last week's rally, which saw dozens take to the streets in support of a handful of young Israelis who set their drafts on fire, came at a time of increasing international pressure on Israel. Starvation has torn through the devastated enclave, killing dozens of children, Palestinian health officials say. In recent weeks, catastrophic levels of hunger have seen the first hunger-related deaths spiral - something experts and UN officials say is a result of Israel's blockade on aid entering Gaza has pushed the strip to the brink of famine. Israel says the hunger crisis is because of a 'man-made shortage' of food which is 'engineered by Hamas', Palestinian health officials say the IDF has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians since its bombardment began on 7 October 2023, soon after Hamas-led attacks killed around 1,200 Israelis and saw 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli figures. For the few on the Israeli left who have refused service on ideological grounds, the ongoing destruction in Gaza has added an unique complexity to their daily lives. 'It's very complicated to live in a society, to walk in the street and you know that most people around you are war criminals, or taking part in genocide,' Itamar says. Most Israelis who want the war to end, he adds, don't care about the lives of Palestinians, but rather they 'want the soldiers back home; they're afraid for their lives'. Yona Roseman, 19, was among those to burn her draft letter last week. She expects to be jailed when her conscription date passes in 24 days. 'It's scary,' she says of a looming stint in prison. Yona's parents, while they have come to understand her choice, were initially not very supportive of her decision. 'But I don't have any second thoughts about it. It's very much what needs to be done.' Like Itamar, Yona says the decision has made her an 'outcast' in Israel. 'It's a decision which takes you out of mainstream society. I have friends from my class who cut ties with me over my decision. My social circle these days is made up of people who are with me in this sort of activism, so I have a community, but it's disconnected from the rest of society.' Yona and Itamar are tentative in their hopes for any significant change in public mood in Israel. They both note that interest in the refuser movement is growing, but Yona believes that almost everyone who could have refused would have done so by now already. 'I don't know what could change for them to stop showing up and fighting,' she says. Instead, the young activists hope that those who are already serving in the army will turn their backs on it. Itamar speaks of a friend who serves in the IDF and is 'not a leftist'. He says the friend recently messaged into a group chat: 'I don't know how to say it, but it's started to look like we're doing genocide.' Yona also has friends in the IDF who tell her that they lack the bravery to be a refuser. 'I feel for them, but really, they should just get out of that. It's not an easy process, but it's not a complicated decision.' But despite being part of an ostracised group in Israeli society, losing a number of friends and spending a six-month stint in prison, Itamar wishes he could do more. He says: 'I just feel that I don't do enough, even though almost all my life has been for stopping [occupation]. I just don't know how.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
New haredi draft proposal by reservist NGOs gains traction on Knesset, still no clear framework
According to the proposal, all haredi men will receive draft summons and be required to serve in the IDF, although the outline does not explain why it would be limited to men. The Coalition of Service Organizations, a consortium of 18 nonprofits that is in favor of expanding the IDF's ranks, outlined its version of a framework for a haredi (ultra-Orthodox) IDF conscription bill during a Knesset conference on Tuesday. According to the proposal, all haredi men will receive draft summons and will be required to serve in the IDF. However, up to 3% of men in each graduating class will be able to receive an exemption as 'outstanding' Torah scholars, based on exams that will be open to whoever is interested. The outline did not detail why the exam would be open only to men. In addition, the proposal suggests differentiating between the current 'pool' of haredi candidates, comprised of men between the ages of 18 and 26, and haredi men who reach the age of 18. While the former category will receive an unspecified 'lenient arrangement' based on the IDF's needs, the latter will be subject to the full extent of the proposal. The rest of the draft included provisions similar to proposals that arose in meetings in the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee over the past year, such as financial sanctions on people who evade the draft without a proper exemption; retroactive funding for yeshivas based on the number of their conscripts; and opening units and frameworks within the army adapted to the haredi lifestyle. A full version of the bill proposal will be published as early as Wednesday, a member of one of the consortium said. The Coalition of Service Organizations includes a series of organizations without political affiliations, such as the IDF Reservists' Wives Forum, but also syndicates affiliated with specific parties or groups, such as the Likud and the Forum of National-Religious Reservists. According to a statement by this coalition of nonprofits, the framework was 'developed over recent months in collaboration with experts in law, national security, and civil society,' and offered a 'responsible, unifying, and practical solution to the issue of military conscription in Israel.' It added that the proposal was submitted on Tuesday to members of the Knesset from both the coalition and the opposition 'to promote it as broad legislation and to build support for it across all factions.' Government MKs propose new "Haredi draft" bill The conference was hosted by three MKs from the coalition: Dan Illouz (Likud), Moshe Passal (Likud), and Yitzhak Kreuzer (Otzma Yehudit). It is estimated that five other MKs from the coalition participated as well, as did eight or so from the opposition. The coalition of nonprofits criticized the recent decision by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to remove the defense panel's chairperson, MK Yuli Edelstein (Likud), from his position over Edelstein's fallout with the haredi parties in negotiations over the bill last week. 'Regardless of who chairs the committee, only an effective conscription law will succeed in passing in the Knesset,' the coalition said. Edelstein attended the Coalition of Service Organizations' conference in the Knesset and promised that the only law that would pass would be one that would lead to widespread conscription. He had met with representatives from this coalition numerous times in recent weeks. Solve the daily Crossword
Russia Today
5 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
German armed forces look to teens to close recruitment gap
The German Defense Ministry wants 40,000 new recruits a year by 2031, Der Tagesspiegel reported on Thursday, citing informed sources. Teenagers may be called up to serve if volunteers cannot fill the gap, the newspaper said. Sources in the ministry told the outlet that the initial aim would be to boost the number of volunteers for the army reserves starting next year. If contract soldiers are not enough to fill the quota, Berlin would reintroduce mandatory conscription for 18-year-olds from 2028, defense officials said. The ministry will present a draft bill on the changes to the cabinet in August, which will then move to the parliament for approval. The project aims to boost volunteer numbers from 15,000 this year by 3,000-5,000 annually, offering pay rises, driver's license subsidies, and bonuses as incentives, according to Der Tagesspiegel. From 2027, all young men and female volunteers would complete military questionnaires assessing their interest in joining the German armed forces. Suitable candidates would undergo voluntary medical checks, the aim of which would be to provide a 'situational overview' of their health suitability, broadcaster ZDF said. Germany has repeatedly debated whether or not to return to conscription, which was suspended in 2011. Along with other EU countries, it moved to revamp its military readiness after the Ukraine conflict escalated in February 2022. In March, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen floated a proposal to marshal €800 billion ($914 billion) in debt and tax incentives to re-arm the EU in the face of what she described as a 'Russian threat.' Moscow has repeatedly dismissed such claims as 'nonsense.' German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed to make the Bundeswehr the 'strongest army' on the continent. In neighboring France, President Emmanuel Macron has proposed reviving voluntary national service to increase the number of reservists from 40,000 to 100,000 within a decade, while ruling out the reinstatement of the draft.
