2023-10-03 21:54:48
Preparation for the military begins early in Israel. In first and second grade, Ella Greenberg Keidar remembers, she and her classmates wrote letters to Israeli soldiers in class. A few years later, the army itself began sending representatives to the classes. They should get young people excited about the military and prepare them for what comes in Israel after they graduate from school: military service. Almost three years for men, two for women. Ella is 16 years old, she still has some time. But she has already decided to refuse to serve in the army – even if it means going to prison.
Christian Meier
Political correspondent for the Middle East and Northeast Africa.
“The school and society in Israel are very militarized,” she says. In Ella’s high school in the coastal city of Jaffa, many conversations among students are primarily about which elite unit they will get into during military service. Over the years, however, it became increasingly clear to her that she did not want to serve in the army. The reason is the occupation. Israel has controlled the Palestinian territories for more than 56 years. Even though the peace camp has weakened since the 1990s, there are still Israelis who want the occupation to end.
#Young #Israelis #refuse #military #service #protest