By Julia Resnitsky

The world today faces many very difficult questions about war and violent conflicts. In some countries, the decision to go to war is particularly important, since the answer directly affects people’s lives. In the state of Israel for instance, there is an obligatory draft for all men and women who have turned 18. This obligation is a direct result of the perpetual conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Yet, today young people in Israel are questioning whether they want to become soldiers of the state. They are asking themselves whether fighting actually breaks the cycle of violence. They are wondering whether they could more effectively express their patriotism to the state of Israel by putting down their guns.

An important social revolution is going on in Israel today – young people are refusing to serve in the Israeli armed forces. Yet, it’s not easy to be a conscientious objector to war there. The legal right to object and refuse to serve in the armed forces belongs solely to women. For men this process is much more complicated and every request to object to military service has to go before the Minister of Defense.

In 1993, however, the state of Israel adopted the Human Rights Committee General Comment No.22, which stated that objection to serve in any military is a legitimate expression of one’s basic freedom of thought, conscience and religion. Yet Israel still continues to imprison young men who refuse to join the armed forces. Labeled by the government, the media and the general public as unpatriotic, conscientious objectors are also often considered to be traitors.

Like a growing number of others, I believe the choice to object to any kind of violence is just as patriotic as the choice to kill or die for one’s country. Patriotism can be expressed in different ways. People who object to take part in violent military action are refusing to perpetuate the culture of war choosing instead to help their country attain a more peaceful future by a different means.

Non-violent conflict has been a viable method to create change in different parts of the world. Non-violence may not answer all questions but never in the history of the world has anything been solved or changed for the best by war.

Conscientious objection to violence and military action is a basic human right that should be respected by all democratic governments in all democratic states. The freedom to make choices based on one’s conscience and moral sense is a freedom of speech and thought. Conscientious objectors can serve their country in many non-violent ways. In fact, some consider the act of objection to be the greatest service to their country.