Would you have the courage to refuse?
With thousands of reserve Israeli soldiers were called up on the weekend to move to front and do their duty for the Jewish nation. Army service occupies a very central role in Israel society and refusal to serve in the army – and those who refuse to serve are often accused of cowardice and lack of patriotism. One group in Israel that is coming to terms with the current conflicts are those soldiers that have been dubbed refusniks. They have been refusing to serve in the army in any operations in the occupied Palestinian territories. Now the Lebanese conflict has reopened the debate. Arik Diamant, who heads up a of soldiers opposed to serving in the territories, called Courage to Refuse, explained the central role that army service plays in Israeli society.