ISTANBUL

A conscientious objector who refused to join the army in response to Israel's relentless offensive on Gaza since last Oct. 7 said he believes that Israel is committing genocide against civilians in Gaza. 

Israeli citizen Yuval Moav, 18, who was jailed for refusing to join the Israeli army, told Anadolu about his experiences after turning down military service to protest the army's actions, which include turning Gaza into a virtual wasteland and leaving Palestinians there on the brink of starvation.

Moav said Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and that he had no choice but to refuse to join the army in order to stand against the occupation.

Saying Israel imprisoned him a month ago, he said: “I'm 18 years old and I refuse to be a partner in the genocide. I just returned from my first 30-day sentence in an Israeli military prison and I'll go back in. You can be imprisoned for up to 30 days for refusing to enlist, but when you're released, you're re-enlisted. I will refuse to be drafted again and I think this cycle will continue for maybe six months.”

He said he would resist the draft as long as he could.

Saying there is a group in Israel that opposes the massacres, he added: “There are people who oppose these massacres in Israel for various reasons, but it's very unfortunate because we're few in number.”

Calling on the Jewish community to refuse compulsory military service to help stop the ongoing genocide in Palestine, Moav said: “I'm far from being a victim in this situation. I'll finish my prison sentence and go back to my privileged life. I think you should definitely not do it. If you join the Israeli army now, it would be a stain on your life forever. It will haunt you forever. I think I've made my point and I will do it in solidarity with the Palestinian people. I will do it because I won't be an accomplice to genocide.”

- 'My conscience wasn't clear'

Moav said he wants to stand in solidarity with the Palestinians and added, “That's why I believe I can't in good conscience be clear about what's happening ... First of all, I'd like to say that I stand in solidarity with my Palestinian brothers and sisters.”

​​​​​​​Stating that the Israeli army intends to destroy the Palestinian people and their way of life, Moab stressed that he believes the Israeli government and part of Israeli society are partners in this “genocide."

Calling the killing of tens of thousands of innocents in Gaza – some 41,000 at last count – unacceptable, Moav added: “I can say this to my Palestinian brothers and sisters. This is what I can do, this is what I can do. At the same time, I'd like to say that there are people who have seen the pain and suffering that Israel is causing now and since its inception. We stand against it and we're not going anywhere and when the day comes, we will build a better society together, we can.”

- Conscription in Israel

In Israel, Haredim (Ultra-Orthodox Jews) as well as some secular groups refuse to join the army.

Hot topics such as the Haredi draft exemption and judicial reform have been postponed due to the current situation in the country since last October. These issues, put on the back burner for the sake of social unity in wartime, are seen as fragile fault lines in Israeli society.

In February, the army announced a plan to extend the length of service of conscripts and reservists. While conscripts' length of service was increased, the exemption of Haredi men from military service came up again.

The exemption of Haredi men from military service was a top political priority of the Haredi parties. However, the alignment of Israeli society with the army since last October caused some lawmakers to shift their tone.

As of April 1, the Supreme Court issued a ruling freezing government funding for yeshivas (religious schools) that do not enlist their students. This decision, condemned by Haredi leaders, raised concerns about Haredi parties leaving the government coalition.

As a result, yeshivas will no longer receive funding for students who qualify for military service. This will leave nearly 1,300 yeshivas without state funding and hundreds more facing partial cuts.

​​​​​​​Haredi leaders have so far continued to support Netanyahu because they trusted his commitment to protect the welfare of their communities by isolating them. To this day, they continue to study the Torah and are exempt from military service.

*Writing by Efe Ozkan