An 18-year-old Israeli, Tal Mitnick, has been jailed for refusing to participate in the military operation against Hamas, making him apparently the first conscientious objector to face such a sanction.
Mitnick was tried and sentenced to 30 days in a military prison, a term that is three times the standard 10-day penalty for such refusals. Upon completion of his sentence, Mitnick will be given another opportunity to enlist. If he continues to refuse, he could face an extended period of imprisonment.
“I’m standing here at the Tel Hashomer base and refusing to be drafted, refusing to take part in the war in Gaza,” Mitnick said on Tuesday. “I believe that slaughter does not solve slaughter, violence does not solve violence.”
Mitnick, a resident of Tel Aviv, presented himself at an IDF recruitment center to declare his objection to enlistment, supported by fellow activists from the Mesarvot Network, a collective of conscientious objectors. In Israel, military service is mandatory for all citizens at the age of 18, with men serving for three years and women for two, unless exempt for reasons such as religious study.
“I refuse to believe that more violence will bring security, I refuse to take part in a war of revenge,” Mitnick said. “I grew up in a home where life is sacred, where discussion is valued, and where discourse and understanding always come before taking violent measures. In the world full of corrupt interests in which we live, violence and war are another way to increase support for the government and silence criticism.”
In September, prior to Hamas’ October 7 attack, Mitnick was among a group of teens who drafted a letter announcing their intention not to serve in the IDF. “We, teenagers who are about to draft, say no to dictatorship – both in Israel and in the occupied Palestinian territories – and announce that we will not serve until democracy is guaranteed to all, to everyone who lives under Israeli rule,” the letter read.
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27 Responses
What a stupid young man.
How was Gaza “occupied Palestinian territories” when Israel won it from Egypt? The people living in Gaza never governed Gaza before Israel gave it to them…but go ahead, sit down with these terrorists, believe in “peace” like the majority of the 1400 Israelis who were killed did…
What a load of nonsense, The Mesarvot Network appears to be on a diplomatic wavelength—suggesting that if they ran the show, it would be more about turning cheeks than turning tables!
He should be put into the same prison as the Hamas detainees.
Sure Tal!
When Hamas comes to burn your family ALIVE why dont you take out some gaari’nim, chumus, and beer and sit down for “discussion and discourse”? HAHAHAHA
Send youthful Tal Mitnick to Gaza, and force him to live there.
His idealistic fantasies will be quickly replaced brutal realities.
He should be declared unfit due to being psychologically unstable and go for evaluation in one of the hospitals in Gaza
Give him a free ticket to Yemen. Search his phone for his allies.
Mitnick was brought up in a home where life is sacred, where discussion is valued, and where discourse and understanding always come before taking violent measures.
However he has to learn to live in a world where there are other, different homes. And he should learn quickly that in Gazan homes, death is sacred, discussion doesn’t exist and where practically nothing is valued besides violent measures.
What works for neighbors A, B and C doesn’t necessarily work for neighbors X, Y or Z.
Yakov Ovinu who was the epitome of Temimus, and would never hurt a fly, still knew how to deal with Esav & Lavan. He said of himself אחיו אני ברמאות
It pays to grow out of narrow-mindedness quickly – it can save lives!
What does he call:”until democracy is guaranteed to all”? Flooding Israel with 5m Palestinian refugees? Giving free hand to terrorists?
“discourse and understanding…” who with? Inhuman monsters? Try discourse with the wild animals in the jungle, probably more chance!
Wow ashrecha, what a freedom fighter!
How about you go to Gaza or other “occupied territories” and be nice to them see how nice they will be to you
Fool he is. This isn’t violence that the Israelis are doing it is self defense. Very big difference. They are trying to dismantle a regime sworn to violence in order to live in peace.
Nunu
Liberal idiot. only person in the entire EY who cant figure out which side are the terrorists. The world has their negios to make up all the garbage but even leftist israel knws whats going on. What a great idea try to use ‘discussion & understanding’ to deal with these animals who we already ‘understand’ what their mtive is because they say it themselves. And no I dont think his issue is cowardice because apparently front line combat is not mandatory and he can do his service elsewhere. Hes just a sick mind nebach. Just like the jewish ivy league presidents and department heads. HKBH should send them a Refua Shleima bimheira.
Fool. Good thing it’s not your family member that was butchered or taken hostage. Remember Gaza was given to them as a land for peace deal. They got the land but happened to the peace??!!! You can’t negotiate with terrorists.
שוטה. Who is raising these naive people?
If anyone understands this kids logic please explain it.
When the enemy slaughters 1,200 and injures another 2,500 then the ONLY answer is to DESTROY the enemy. And if that means more killing and violence so be it. Think he’s simply too lazy to be drafted and wants an easy life.
If this punk from Wonderland lived in the US, he’d be a registered Democrat.
Don’t send him to prison. Send him to Ramallah. Let him see what they do to Jews.
We refuse to accept slander from anywhere, even (or especially), from within our ranks. It is NOT slaughter to destroy evil. It is weakness and immoral to refuse to destroy such evil if you have a chance.
in order to be a “conscientious objector” you have to have a brain. These leftists are following their heart’s desires to live a “good” life like the America leftists and why go into the army???
Disgusting Arab loving liberal, this idiot thinks you can solve the conflict with discussion YOU ARE IN THE MIDDLE EAST!!!! FILLED WITH ISIS AND THEIR SUPPORTERS ALL AROUND YOU!!! DISCUSSION WILL DO NOTHING THEY AREN’T HUMAN LIKE YIDDEN
exchange him for some hostages.
Does he believe in fighting in self defence, this little tzdikal? Would he have fought the Natzis? He should really be ashamed of himself. instead of standing there so smugly. Perhaps he didn’t get enough attention when he was youger, so he wants to make up for it now. The one thing his parents didnt give him is a sence loyalty
Kol hakavod!!
Let Netanyahu explain how conveniently Hamas was able to attack and how the attack had to be on such a grand scale?!?
Open your eyes!!!! Its a funded war to line the pockets of the elite to eventually win billions of dollars for Netanyahu & his Deep State friends with the Ben Gurion Canal!!! Our boys are dying?????? If the goal is to wipe out Hamas them air strike the darn place and be done! The whole Gaza is Hamas. They are moving in saving $$$$$$ and will be there for good all while building the Canal. These wars are all man made to line pockets. Wake up!
The USA has a long history of pacifists, conscientious objectors to all violence, and has always accommodated them and exempted them from conscription, when that existed. The debates about the Bill of Rights included concern that the original draft of 2nd amendment might be construed so as to compel pacifists to bear arms, and the wording was tweaked to ensure that that could not happen.
Israel hasn’t got such a history, since pacifism has never been a Jewish value, but if Israel aspires to be a Western country it should abide by this norm that conscientious objectors are not conscripted, so long as their objection is genuine and is against all wars, not just whichever one happens to be current at the time.
He gives the impression that his IQ is hovering somewhere between 0.002 and 0.001