Palestine Think Tank

Young israelis who refuse to serve the occupation need our support

By Mary Rizzo • Dec 8th, 2008 at 20:12 • Category: Action Alert, Biography, Israel, Newswire, Petitions, Zionism

A note from Shministit Omer Goldman.

Dear Mary,

My name is Omer Goldman. I am 19 years old. I am one of the Shministim. Thank you for signing the Shministim letter to support me and my friends.

Tell your friends to send a letter to the
Israeli Minister of Defense.

I am Omer Goldman.
I am one of the Shministim.
I need your help.

I first went to prison on September 23 and served 35 days. I am lucky, after 2 times in jail, I got a medical discharge, but I'm the only one. By the time you read this, many of my friends will be in prison too: in for three weeks, out for one, and then back in, over and over, until they are 21. The reason? We refuse to do military service for the Israeli army because of the occupation.

I grew up with the army. My father was deputy head of Mossad and I saw my sister, who is eight years older than me, do her military service. As a young girl, I wanted to be a soldier. The military was such a part of my life that I never even questioned it.

Earlier this year, I went to a peace demonstration in Palestine. I had always been told that the Israeli army was there to defend me, but during that demonstration Israeli soldiers opened fire on me and my friends with rubber bullets and tear-gas grenades. I was shocked and scared. I saw the truth. I saw the reality. I saw for the first time that the most dangerous thing in Palestine is the Israeli soldiers, the very people who are supposed to be on my side.

When I came back to Israel, I knew I had changed. And so, I have joined with a number of other young people who are refusing to serve – they call us the Shministim. On December 18th, we are holding a Day of Action in Israel, and we are determined to show Israelis and the world that there is wide support for stopping a culture of war. Will you join us?

Please, tell your loved ones to sign a letter. That's all it takes.

Many have asked me about what it was like for me during this time. Of course I got scared while in prison. But also, it's frightening that my country is the way that it is, locking up young people who are against violence and war. And I worry that what I am doing may damage my future. It's hard to go from being a free girl who can decide things for herself — what to wear, who to see, what to eat — and then go back to having every minute of the day time-tabled.

Last time I was out of prison, I went to see my dad. We tried not to talk politics. He cares about me as his daughter, that I am suffering, but he doesn't want to hear my views. He never came to visit me in prison. I think it was too hard for him to see me in there. He is an army man.

I suppose, actually, we have similar characters. We both fight for what we believe in.

I understand from our friends at Jewish Voice for Peace that you are also someone who fights for what you believe in. Believe in me. Believe in Omer Goldman. Believe in the Shministim.

Thank you,

Omer Goldman
Tel-Aviv, Israel

Tagged as: IOF, Israel, occupation army, Refusniks, Shministim

Mary Rizzo is an art restorer, translator and writer living in Italy. Editor and co-founder of Palestine Think Tank, co-founder of Tlaxcala translations collective. Her personal blog is Peacepalestine.
Email this author | All posts by Mary Rizzo

7 Responses »

Hadassah on December 8th, 2008 at 20:46:
The best you can do Omer, is to leave the Zionist State.
Pia Qu on December 9th, 2008 at 11:55:
Dear Omer!

I'm a Danish woman and learned from childhood and during many years how heroic Israelian are, making me admire all Israel and it's people. The latest years I've learned something else, – now I also know about the very dark sides..
I admire you for making this decision about not to serve the army and figth for peace instead! It's my hope that the whole world stands up, especially the goverments, and boycott Israel untill the pressure is so big that your goverment has to listen and find a way to solve the problem and give the Palestinian their birthrigths.
All the young people in both Israel and Palestine will cross the borders and work together, and we are millions standing beside you with the same intentions and wishes for peace in our time.
Hopefully one day you will all be one people!
Al Khansa on December 9th, 2008 at 20:40:
These brave young people who have the courage to speak out against the horror of what Israel has become are the very young people who will be the future politicians.I can only admire the Shministim that they have the courage to stand up,tell the truth and refuse to be part of the IOF monster.
Manu on December 10th, 2008 at 14:50:
Originally Posted By HadassahThe best you can do Omer, is to leave the Zionist State.

I disagree with Hadassah: Omer doesn't have to leave if she doesn't want to. There's a place waiting for her in the future of the Land of Canaan. And she will be there an ordinary citizen who shares the country with everybody else, and no longer a privileged member of the herrenvolk. Then, if she prefers to come to Europe, the land of her ancestors, she is also welcome. And at least we won't have to judge her for war crimes, since she didn't serve in the Tsahal.
lasse wilhelmson on December 10th, 2008 at 20:35:
Dear Omer,

I really support you and admire you for letting your conscience talk. I can not sign your letter because it is
for jews only, and since some years I am not a Jew any more. I think you better call for support from all humans.

Love and peace

Lasse Wilhelmson
Mary Rizzo on December 10th, 2008 at 21:21:
IHi Lasse, you don't have to be Jewish to sign, they don't only ask for Jewish signatories. I got the original letter about 10 days ago from Jewish Voice for peace and thought, nice cause, but they should make it a universal call. In fact, it is a universal call. They used a group to distribute them, and that is why JVfP shows on the above. the content of the actual Postcard is as follows:

I support the Shministim and their right to peacefully object to military service. I call for the release of those teenagers who have been jailed for their principled refusal to serve in an army which occupies the Palestinian Territories. The imprisonment of these conscientious objectors is a violation of their human rights and contrary to International Law.

I am inspired by these caring students and their counterparts in Palestine, whose nonviolent resistance to the Occupation points the way to a just peace and security for all people in the region. They are our best hope for the future. I urge you to heed them, and not punish them.
Israeli Conscientious Objectors, Shministim | Sabbah on December 17th, 2008 at 12:13:
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