In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with Atalya Ben Abba and Mattan Helman of the Israeli Refuser Solidarity Network. They discuss what makes a person refuse to serve in the Israeli military, how the Israeli military treats refusers, and the surprising solidarity inside military prisons.

Resources:

• Refuser Solidarity Network: https://www.refuser.org/
• Instagram: @VoicesAgainstWar
• X: @againstwarvoice

Atalya Ben-Abba is the media manager for the Refuser Solidarity Network, running the page @VoicesAgainstWar. She refused to enlist in the Israeli army in 2017 and spent 110 days in the military prison because she wanted to publicly condemn the Israeli occupation and not take part in its practices. She has been an activist for the past ten years, working mainly in Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Mattan Helman is the executive director of Refuser Solidarity Network. Mattan also spent 110 days in Israeli prison for refusing to join the Israeli army and refusing to oppress Palestinians as part of the army. 

Peter Beinart is a Non-Resident Fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace. He is also a Professor of Journalism and Political Science at the City University of New York, a Contributing opinion writer at the New York Times, an Editor-at-Large at Jewish Currents, and an MSNBC Political Commentator.