Soul Behar Tsalik and Iddo Elam, both 18-year-old, will refuse to enlist in the Israeli Army in protest over the war of destruction in Gaza and the ongoing occupation of Palestinian lands. The two will arrive this week at Tel-Hashomer enlistment camp and declare their refusal to become soldiers and their total objection to the Israeli policy of endless war, occupation, and death. They are expected to be sentenced to military prison.
On Wednesday, November 27, at 10:00, a solidarity demonstration with the two will be held outside Tel Hashomer base, as they enter. They will be accompanied by activists from Mesarvot (refuser activist network) and BANKI (Communist Youth).
We Must End the War for the Israelis and the Palestinians – Soul Behar Tsalik’s Refusal Statement
Soul Behar Tsalik. Photo credit Mesarvot
Hello, my name is Soul. I am 18 years old, and I refuse to enlist.
We must end the war and Israel’s presence in Gaza – for the lives of both Israelis and Palestinians alike.
Human lives are equally valuable, no matter which side of an ethnic or political line we were born on. We all want and deserve to live in peace, quiet, and security. For over a year now, the IDF has increased its presence in Gaza and has conducted widespread military operations in the dense strip. For the sake of humanity and the safety of all, this must stop.
As a result of the increased military presence in Gaza, an unprecedented number of lives have been lost: soldiers, fathers, mothers, hostages, children, and civilians – both Israelis and Palestinians. The Israeli government continues to pour vast sums of money into an ongoing military presence that only sustains the cycle of violence and puts everyone at risk. We must shift from violent confrontation to a political solution. Only then can we begin to build a lasting peace. No more sirens, no more kidnappings, no more wars, and no more death. All of this is possible, but only if we leave Gaza.
There may be attempts to shift our attention to Lebanon or Iran, but the reality in Gaza does not change – we are controlling Gaza. We continue the violence there and continue to forsake the hostages.
Ending the Israeli presence in Gaza is not only the right thing to do for the Palestinians. It is also what must be done for the security and future of Israelis.
To draw attention to this situation and to remain true to my humanist values, I choose to refuse to enlist in the IDF. I hope my refusal will resonate with others and encourage people to seek alternatives to the cycle of bloodshed and to work toward peace.
Leave Gaza.
Thank you for your time
A Child is a child – Iddo Elam’s Refusal Declaration
Iddo Elam. Photo credit Mesarvot
My name is Iddo Elam. I’m 18 years old and I love living here. That’s why I’m refusing.
I love this land. I love our culture and my Israeli and Palestinian friends. I want to believe that in 10 years I will still be here. I want to believe that the future of my country looks different, that the future generations will live in a future of Jewish and Arab partnership, of peace and of equality.
Unfortunately, in the direction my country is heading, I am having a hard time seeing this future. I am refusing because I want to live in security and I want the next generation to not face another 7.10. I want no child, no matter on which side of the wall they were born, be afraid of rockets or being kidnapped from their beds. A child is a child. A child isn’t born with a weapon in their hand or with the feeling of revenge. I want the next generation to only know our horrible reality, including the appalling war crimes we are committing in Gaza, as a lesson from history not to be repeated. We have to do everything in our power to make sure that the children of the future live in security.
At 18, I haven’t voted in an election yet. I finished high school just a moment ago. But I have already lived through 7 Gaza wars before this terrible year. I refuse because I want to be part of the change. I refuse because there’s no justice in sending young men to die on the battlefield, when there is no political horizon and when our government is eliminating any democracy we had while hiding its true intentions from the public.
The future is in our hands. Change has to come from us. As long as we continue to enlist, follow orders and enact our government’s rotten goals, we will live in a reality of war, annexation and hate. This is the moment to refuse, to work against them and enlist for peace. Many have said this before me. The road to peace won’t be easy, but in comparison to the reality of war that we live in, no matter how hard and painful the road will be, we have to take it.
No matter what background you come from, what you believe in or what you think a future peace should look like, one thing is true – this war will end. The only question is, what have we done to ensure it was the last one, and what would we have done to make it end as quickly as possible?
The war will end. The leaders will shake hands. And we will be left, those who have paid the price.