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Israeli Conscientious Objector Profiles

Lior Volynitz

Lior Volynitz appeared before an Israeli Army conscience committee on October 17, 2006. At that hearing, Lior declared that he was refusing military service because of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, and Israeli actions during the war in Lebanon during the summer of 2006. Lior was officially recognized as an conscientious objector and was released from military service.

The following is the statement Lior wrote to explain his decision to refuse military service.

With its checkpoints and detentions, raids and bombardments, assassinations and abductions, the separation wall and discrimination, Israeli policy in itself is enough of a reason for refusal to serve in an army that commits such war crimes. This is not all there is to it, though: the price for this policy is paid not just by Israel’s neighbors but equally by us, Israelis.

Politicians will pass the bill for the latest war against Lebanon to the bank account of those entitled to social benefits, and the cost of Defense Minister Amir Peretz’s new armored vehicles will be shouldered by the laid-off workers of the next privatized company. The price for the murder of Lebanese civilians will be paid by bereaved families in Israel. And still in a few years Israelis will all pay a price when we will wonder, "why do they hate us so much?"

During this last war I was old enough to have been a soldier myself. I have a high military profile*, 97, so they might have sent me off to Lebanon. I might have obeyed orders without thinking twice – easily. But I won’t be a soldier, and while the war was raging I participated in activities against the bloodshed, against policies that assumes every political issue can dealt with through military solutions.

By refusing I am sending a message to other soldiers and future conscripts. I would like them to know that there is another way. My message is also addressed to all the people who have suffered from Israel’s policy. I would like them to know that there are Israelis who are different. I sincerely hope that in doing this I will contribute, if only in a small way, towards making Israeli society more just and peace loving

* In the Israeli military, a military profile is a ranking which determines where an inductee serves in the military.

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