Anti-Zionist Israeli Youth Refuse to Serve Genocide: A Conversation between Israeli War Refusers and Palestinian Movement Organizers
Please join us in a panel discussion featuring Israeli youth who refused to serve in the IDF and spent months in military prison, in conversation with local Palestinian educators and organizers. This event, moderated by documentary-maker and educator, Avi Lewis, will hear perspectives on Palestinian resistance, dismantling Zionist indoctrination, anti-Palestinian racism and opportunities to take action. We look forward to an engaging discussion on our shared fight for Palestinian self-determination within diaspora and allied communities here in Canada.
-How does anti-Palestinian racism prevent solidarity work from happening in Canada and in Israel?
-What role do Israeli war refusers have to play in the Palestine solidarity movement?
-What does non-violent resistance to fascism look like for Israeli Jews in solidarity with Palestinian communities?
-How does a feminist analysis help us think through the dominance of militarism in Israeli education and culture?
These and other questions will be the focus of this dynamic round-table conversation.
Tal Mitnick: In 2023, Tal Mitnick served a sentence of 185 days for being the first conscientious objector to refuse military service after October 7th and sparked a rebellion of youth across Israel who pledged to refuse to serve in Israel’s military while citing the ongoing occupation of the Palestinian people as the source for rising fascism.
Einat Gerlitz: In 2022, Einat Gerlitz served a sentence of 87 days for her refusal to serve in the Israeli army and has been involved in the climate justice and queer movements in Israel. Einat is involved in solidarity work with Palestinians in the West Bank.
Jeeda Musleh is a Palestinian Canadian who grew up in Bethlehem, Palestine. She lived through the first and second intifada, working in Palestine as a music curriculum developer. This enabled her to witness how music helped elementary school kids, as well as their teachers across the West Bank, to process the never ending, never processed, trauma they experienced. Jeeda is one of the organizers of Free Palestine Tricities, and the coordinator of the Apartheid Free Communities BC Chapter. She is working on a book chronicling life under Israeli occupation.
Waleed Kadray is a Palestinian teacher, and historian. He completed his Masters degree from University of Ottawa where he specialized in Israeli Family Law. His presentation is informed by his family’s personal experience as displaced and stateless peoples, and his own academic experience.
Avi Lewis is an associate professor of Geography at UBC and the federal NDP candidate for the riding of Vancouver Center. Avi has more than 30 years of experience in journalism and storytelling from the front lines of social movements. He has worked as a host and producer at CBC, CityTV and Al Jazeera and has won awards for his documentaries. His visit to Gaza in 2009 gave him firsthand insight into the harsh realities faced by Palestinians living under siege, solidifying his commitment to challenging systems of oppression and amplifying the voices of those fighting for liberation.
Accessibility:
This event is being held in a wheelchair accessible room on the main floor of SFU Harbour Center. Please contact us for further inquiries.
This event is hosted by Independent Jewish Voices Canada (IJV), a grassroots organization grounded in Jewish tradition that opposes all forms of racism and advocates for justice and peace for all in Israel-Palestine. Our strength comes from our members. IJV has active chapters in cities and on university campuses across the country.
IJV-Vancouver recognizes that the lands on which we live are the unceded territory of the Tsleil-Waututh (səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ),Squamish (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw) and Musqueam (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm) peoples.
Learn more here: www.ijvcanada.org