Ometz LeSarev (Hebrew: אומץ לסרב, Courage to Refuse) is an organization of reserve officers and soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) who refuse to serve beyond the 1967 borders, but "shall continue serving in the Israel Defense Forces in any mission that serves Israel's defense." These conscientious objectors refer to themselves as refuseniks, a reference to the refusenik Jews of Soviet Russia. In 2004, Courage to Refuse and one of its founders, social activist David Zonsheine, were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by 1992 winner Rigoberta Menchú and 1996 winner Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo.[1]
The movement began in January 2002 at the initiative of social activist and IDF reserve officer David Zonsheine and his fellow officer Yaniv Iczkovits, who drafted, then published an ad in the Israeli mainstream-left daily Haaretz signed by a nucleus of 51 reserve officers and soldiers. This would later come to be known as "The Soldiers' Letter" or "The Combatants' Letter."[1][2] Three years later the number of signatories had reached over 600.[1]
By the 2023 Israel-Hamas War, the founders were divided. Now writer Iczkovits, while still critic of the occupation and Netanyahu governments, rejoined the army to fight Hamas. Zonsheine, with relatives among the Israeli dead and kidnapped during the Hamas attack, asks for a ceasefire. Tamir Sorek, in retrospect, sees the language of the letter as "too patriotic" and inappropriate towards a joint Israeli-Palestinian activism.[4]
Receptionedit
At first, the IDF responded by sentencing any refusenik who refused to serve in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to jail. Seeing that this was not a deterrent and only raised awareness of refusal within the populace, it has stepped down its efforts and has simply stopped calling on the refuseniks or sent them to alternate duties within the 1967 borders – those borders that existed prior to the 1967 Six-Day War.
There are differing opinions in the Israeli public regarding the organization. The right wing opposes the movement, claiming its activities amount to treason during wartime and that activists' refusal to serve encourages Palestinians to step up suicide bombings in order to break Israeli society.
The left wing, which opposes the occupation, is split between those who see refusal as a legitimate political tool and those who believe that it is unlawful and only serves to undermine the IDF's and the Israeli peace camp's standing within the populace. Israeli left-wing activist professor Amnon Rubinstein has warned that the refusal to serve by soldiers on the left could encourage the refusal by soldiers on the right to remove Israeli settlements.
Courage to Refuse and one of its founders, David Zonsheine, were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004.[1]
The refusenik letteredit
We, reserve combat officers and soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces, who were raised upon the principles of Zionism, sacrifice and giving to the people of Israel and to the State of Israel, who have always served in the front lines, and who were the first to carry out any mission, light or heavy, in order to protect the State of Israel and strengthen it.
We, combat officers and soldiers who have served the State of Israel for long weeks every year, in spite of the dear cost to our personal lives, have been on reserve duty all over the Occupied Territories, and were issued commands and directives that had nothing to do with the security of our country, and that had the sole purpose of perpetuating our control over the Palestinian people. We, whose eyes have seen the bloody toll this Occupation exacts from both sides.
We, who sensed how the commands issued to us in the Territories, destroy all the values we had absorbed while growing up in this country.
We, who understand now that the price of Occupation is the loss of IDF's human character and the corruption of the entire Israeli society.
We, who know that the Territories are not Israel, and that all settlements are bound to be evacuated in the end.
We hereby declare that we shall not continue to fight this War of the Settlements.
We shall not continue to fight beyond the 1967 borders in order to dominate, expel, starve and humiliate an entire people.
We hereby declare that we shall continue serving in the Israel Defense Forces in any mission that serves Israel's defense.
The missions of occupation and oppression do not serve this purpose – and we shall take no part in them.
^ abcdLily Galili (29 September 2004). "Courage to Refuse nominated for Nobel Peace Prize". Haaretz.
^Gershom Gorenberg (September–October 2002). "The Thin Green Line". Mother Jones.
^Katz, Sue, "What's Left of the Left in Israel", Z Magazine, December 2004, 16-19.
^Biosca Azcoiti, Javier (20 November 2023). "De la Intifada a la ofensiva en Gaza: qué fue de los militares que se negaron a servir en los territorios ocupados". elDiario.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 November 2023.
External linksedit
Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land: Media & the Israel-Palestine Conflict, documentary directed by Sut Jhally and Bathsheba Ratzkoff (2003) quotes Major Stav Adivi of Ometz Le'sarev
January 01, 1970
ometz, lesarev, hebrew, אומץ, לסרב, courage, refuse, organization, reserve, officers, soldiers, israel, defense, forces, refuse, serve, beyond, 1967, borders, shall, continue, serving, israel, defense, forces, mission, that, serves, israel, defense, these, con. Ometz LeSarev Hebrew אומץ לסרב Courage to Refuse is an organization of reserve officers and soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces IDF who refuse to serve beyond the 1967 borders but shall continue serving in the Israel Defense Forces in any mission that serves Israel s defense These conscientious objectors refer to themselves as refuseniks a reference to the refusenik Jews of Soviet Russia In 2004 Courage to Refuse and one of its founders social activist David Zonsheine were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by 1992 winner Rigoberta Menchu and 1996 winner Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo 1 Contents 1 History 2 Reception 3 The refusenik letter 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksHistory editThe movement began in January 2002 at the initiative of social activist and IDF reserve officer David Zonsheine and his fellow officer Yaniv Iczkovits who drafted then published an ad in the Israeli mainstream left daily Haaretz signed by a nucleus of 51 reserve officers and soldiers This would later come to be known as The Soldiers Letter or The Combatants Letter 1 2 Three years later the number of signatories had reached over 600 1 The group started within the period of the Al Aqsa Intifada 3 By the 2023 Israel Hamas War the founders were divided Now writer Iczkovits while still critic of the occupation and Netanyahu governments rejoined the army to fight Hamas Zonsheine with relatives among the Israeli dead and kidnapped during the Hamas attack asks for a ceasefire Tamir Sorek in retrospect sees the language of the letter as too patriotic and inappropriate towards a joint Israeli Palestinian activism 4 Reception editAt first the IDF responded by sentencing any refusenik who refused to serve in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to jail Seeing that this was not a deterrent and only raised awareness of refusal within the populace it has stepped down its efforts and has simply stopped calling on the refuseniks or sent them to alternate duties within the 1967 borders those borders that existed prior to the 1967 Six Day War There are differing opinions in the Israeli public regarding the organization The right wing opposes the movement claiming its activities amount to treason during wartime and that activists refusal to serve encourages Palestinians to step up suicide bombings in order to break Israeli society The left wing which opposes the occupation is split between those who see refusal as a legitimate political tool and those who believe that it is unlawful and only serves to undermine the IDF s and the Israeli peace camp s standing within the populace Israeli left wing activist professor Amnon Rubinstein has warned that the refusal to serve by soldiers on the left could encourage the refusal by soldiers on the right to remove Israeli settlements Courage to Refuse and one of its founders David Zonsheine were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 1 The refusenik letter editWe reserve combat officers and soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces who were raised upon the principles of Zionism sacrifice and giving to the people of Israel and to the State of Israel who have always served in the front lines and who were the first to carry out any mission light or heavy in order to protect the State of Israel and strengthen it We combat officers and soldiers who have served the State of Israel for long weeks every year in spite of the dear cost to our personal lives have been on reserve duty all over the Occupied Territories and were issued commands and directives that had nothing to do with the security of our country and that had the sole purpose of perpetuating our control over the Palestinian people We whose eyes have seen the bloody toll this Occupation exacts from both sides We who sensed how the commands issued to us in the Territories destroy all the values we had absorbed while growing up in this country We who understand now that the price of Occupation is the loss of IDF s human character and the corruption of the entire Israeli society We who know that the Territories are not Israel and that all settlements are bound to be evacuated in the end We hereby declare that we shall not continue to fight this War of the Settlements We shall not continue to fight beyond the 1967 borders in order to dominate expel starve and humiliate an entire people We hereby declare that we shall continue serving in the Israel Defense Forces in any mission that serves Israel s defense The missions of occupation and oppression do not serve this purpose and we shall take no part in them See also editRefusal to serve in the IDF Yesh GvulReferences edit a b c d Lily Galili 29 September 2004 Courage to Refuse nominated for Nobel Peace Prize Haaretz Gershom Gorenberg September October 2002 The Thin Green Line Mother Jones Katz Sue What s Left of the Left in Israel Z Magazine December 2004 16 19 Biosca Azcoiti Javier 20 November 2023 De la Intifada a la ofensiva en Gaza que fue de los militares que se negaron a servir en los territorios ocupados elDiario es in Spanish Retrieved 22 November 2023 External links editPeace Propaganda and the Promised Land Media amp the Israel Palestine Conflict documentary directed by Sut Jhally and Bathsheba Ratzkoff 2003 quotes Major Stav Adivi of Ometz Le sarev Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ometz LeSarev amp oldid 1210725054, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
