Yuval Moav Refuses to Join the Israeli Army
18-year-old Israeli citizen Yuval Moav was imprisoned for not joining the occupying Israeli army. In his statement to AA correspondent, he emphasized that his refusal to be a part of the army and the genocide carried out by the occupation in Gaza are unacceptable. Moav stated that he could not find a way to protest this situation other than not joining the army.
Moav said, “I am 18 years old and I refuse to be complicit in genocide. I have just returned from my first sentence of 30 days in an Israeli military prison and I will be back again.” He explained that he could be sentenced to up to 30 days in prison for refusing to do military service. Stating that this cycle could last up to six months, Moav said, “When you are released, you are conscripted again. I will refuse to be conscripted again.” he said
Stating that the Israeli authorities did not tell him how long a prison sentence he would receive, Moav stated that he would resist being drafted into the military as long as he could. He also mentioned that there is a group of people who stand against the massacres in Israel and said, “There are people who stand against these massacres for various reasons, but unfortunately our number is very few.” he said
Call to the Jewish Community
Moab called on the Jewish community to reject compulsive military service in response to the genocide being committed in Palestine. “I am far from being a victim in this situation. I will finish my prison sentence and return to my privileged life.” said Moav, pointing out that serving in the army would leave a permanent stain on his life. “I absolutely should not do this, and I will do it in solidarity with the Palestinian people.” he said
Conscience and Solidarity
Stating that he wanted to be in solidarity with the Palestinians, Moav said, “I believe that I cannot have a clear conscience about what is happening. There is nothing about genocide, there is nothing against genocide. I would like to show this.” he said At the same time, he stated that he thought the Israeli army intended to destroy the Palestinian people and found this situation unacceptable.
Moav noted that the killing of tens of thousands of innocent people in Gaza is unacceptable and said, “I can say this to my Palestinian brothers. This is what I can do. At the same time, I would like to point out that there are “people who are aware of pain and suffering.” he said
Compulsive Military Service in Israel
It is known that in addition to the Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox Jews) community in Israel, some secular segments also refuse to join the army. Due to the current situation since October 7, issues such as Haredi military exemption and judicial reform have been postponed. These issues, hidden for the purpose of ensuring social unity during wartime, stand out as fragile fault lines in Israeli society.
Israel sent hundreds of thousands of reserve soldiers to Gaza. The Army announced a plan in early February to extend the length of service of draftees and reservists. The issue of Haredi being exempt from military service has come to the fore again. Exemption of Haredi men from military service stands out as the top political priority of Haredi parties. However, the support movement in society for the army after October 7 caused some political figures to change their attitudes.
The Supreme Court issued a decision freezing government funds for Yeshivas (religious schools) that do not send their students to the military as of April 1. While this decision was condemned by Haredi leaders, it increased the concerns of Haredi parties about leaving the coalition. This will result in 1257 Yeshivas not receiving state funding and many others suffering partial cuts. Haredi leaders continued their support for Netanyahu because they trusted his commitment to protecting their well-being by isolating their community. In this way, they managed to remain exempt from military service by continuing their Torah education.
