Six months in Israeli military prison She described a traitor by friends. It was a difficult year for Itamar Greenberg.
The 19 -year -old Israeli or The rare decision was taken to refuse to recruit IDF Last August when it launched it A devastating war in Gaza. Instead, ITamar accepted half -year behind bars alongside military criminals.
“I have lost my friends, unfortunately,” he says, he says Independent. “I have a lot of friends who are soldiers, some of whom have decided to cut off our call. They actually think I am a traitor. I understand what they feel, but I am clearly not agreeing.”
Itamar Greenberg says he lost a number of friends who joined the army (Itamar Greenberg)
Since his release four months ago, Itamar has continued to support his fellow young escorts, ready to risk ostracism from Israeli society by challenging the mandatory system for all Jews, Druze Or the citizens of Israel, the Sercein, to serve years with the Israeli Defense Army.
Men should serve at least 32 months in the army, while women should serve at least 24 months. The Israeli Defense Army on its website says Israeli Arabs, religious women, married individuals, and those who are considered inappropriate or mentally inappropriate from mandatory military service.
Last Tuesday, a group of young escorts burned their army messages during a gathering in Tel Aviv. Another protest occurred in Jerusalem on Tuesday this week, when extremist Orthodox Jews prevented a highway to protest against military recruitment-although their objection focuses on protecting their strong religious identity, rather than conscience objections to the actions of the Israeli Defense Army in Gaza.
Activists say the movement of facilities is growing. But itamar says they remain on the ends, some despise them, by many.
Fear of prison, and avoiding it to the vicinity of Israeli society after their release, pushes many young people who do not agree with the actions of the Israeli Defense Army to join the army.
“I have friends who are afraid to go to prison and some of them are in the army,” Etamar explains. “Some do not want to be in the army. They believe it is immoral. They join them because they fear Israeli society and the consequences of their social lives.”
IDF draft letter burning on the ground (Andrey x/@The_andrey_x)
Itamar recalls one of his close friends who approached the service refusal. When his family told him that he would be expelled from the house if he did not serve, the friend – now with the Israeli Defense Army surrendered.
Family life is complicated for days as well. The son of an army officer, as he avoids engaging in discussions about politics and activity while he was at home, and instead chose silence while his father discusses his work.
“He is proud of that, the whole family is proud of it,” said Itamar.
Last week, which witnessed dozens of streets to support a handful of young Israelis who set fire at the time of fire, gathered at a time to increase international pressure on Israel.
Palestinian health officials say that hunger was torn through the devastating pocket, killing dozens of children. In recent weeks, the catastrophic levels of hunger have seen the first hunger-related death-which is what experts and officials of the United Nations say that as a result of the Israeli blockade of the aid that enters Gaza has pushed the tape to the brink of starvation. Israel says that the hunger crisis is due to a “lack of human work” of food, which was “designed by Hamas”,
Palestinian health officials say that the Israeli Defense Army has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians since its bombing began on October 7, 2023, shortly after the killing of Hamas’s attacks by about 1,200 Israelis and witnessed 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
Palestinians meet to receive food from a charitable kitchen, amid a hunger crisis, in Gaza City (Reuters)
For the few on the Israeli left who refused to serve on an ideological basis, the continuous destruction in Gaza added a unique complexity of their daily life.
“It is very complicated to live in a society, walk on the street and you know that most of the people around you are criminals in war, or participate in genocide,” says Itamar. He adds that most of the Israelis who want to end the war do not care about the lives of the Palestinians, but rather “they want the soldiers to the homeland; they are afraid of their lives.”
Yuna Roseman, 19, was among those who burned her message last week. She expects to be imprisoned when the recruitment date passes in 24 days.
“It is frightening,” she says about a long time prisoner. Yuna’s parents, while they understood her choice, was not initially supportive of her decision. “But I have no second ideas on this topic. It is what to do a lot.”
Like Itamar, Yona says the decision made her “pariah” in Israel.
Yuna Roseman says it may be sent to 24 days after (Andrey x/@The_andrey_x)
“It is a decision that takes you out of the prevailing society. I have friends from my class who have cut ties with me about my decision. My social circle these days consists of people with me in this type of activity, so I have a society, but it was separated from the rest of society.”
Yona and ITAMAR are in their hopes of any major change in the general mood in Israel. Both are noted that interest in the accompanying movement is increasing, but Yona believes that everyone who could almost refuse to do so now. “I don’t know what can change for them to stop appearing and fighting,” she says.
Instead, young activists hope that those who are already serving in the army will play their appearance on it.
Itamar talks about a friend who serves the IDF and is “not left.” He says that the friend was recently sent in a group chat: “I don’t know how to say that, but it started to seem like we were doing genocide.”
Yona also has friends in the Israeli Defense Army who told her that they lack courage to be accompanying. “I feel them, but in fact, they should get out of it. It is not an easy process, but it is not a complicated decision.”
But although it is part of a group in Israeli society, the loss of many friends and a six -month prison period, Itamar hopes to do more.
He says: “I feel that I am not doing enough, although my life was almost to stop [occupation]. I just don’t know how. “
