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Life Onboard | LAST UPDATE September 19, 2006 | |
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An increasing number of high school students are also publicly dissenting the draft by signing a joint letter known as a Shiministim. There have been two such letters in the past four years, the first in 2001 with 62 signatories, and the second in 2005 with 300 signatories. Two participating 18 year old students are now serving time in jail for their refusal to be conscripted into the Israeli military and to serve as part of an occupying force in the Palestinian Occupied Territories. As the youngest member of the International Student group onboard the 54th voyage from Cochin, India until Barcelona, Spain, participants had the opportunity to talk with Ilil Bartana, a conscientious objector to Israeli military service at the age of 19. I talked with her about her experience. |
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Why did you decide not to join the Israeli army? In a society like Israel, which is in deep conflict, going to the army is the simple solution. But I couldn’t justify going into the army in any political or moral way. I don’t think it protects Israeli citizens - it only damages society. For me, I need to find solutions to so many political questions that will not be answered in the army. I have questions of identity, of nation, the meaning of geographical boundaries, the meaning of state. What is it that makes people think you are in my group and you are not. This whole concept of 'self' and 'other'. You are in my group, and you are not. How do you decide this? Who do you call enemy and who do you call friend? Defining this can mean life and death. With what do you identify? In an ideal way, I would like to identify with the whole human race. I don’t want to even say human species because you legitimize hurting the environment. There shouldn’t be an enemy. In real life, I identify with people with whom I share the same language, people I can argue with. How did your family and friends react when you told them you decided to be a conscientious objector? During high school I started to choose my friends by ideals, not obligation. So I think in that sense I was lucky because I already had support. We shared a common language. As for my family, it was a different story. My father is in the military so he was shocked when I told him. He said it was a phase and that it would pass. At the beginning we argued a lot, he confronted me about my decision often. Eventually he understood that I was serious and he changed. He decided that I am his daughter, and that our relationship is more important. He became my witness when I went to explain why I didn’t want to join the army at the military board. I think I was excused from duty because of his support; he spoke their language. Have you faced any problems because of your decision? It’s more a social difficulty. It put me in the position of a 'special' person. I am automatically different or alternative. I am marginalized. The normal track of life in Israel is high school, military, one year or so in another country after the army, and then university at age 21, 22, 23, sometimes 25. I’m 19 and in university, which makes me different although I have found a community of activists who care about society and people and are morally motivated. I can rely on them as my support network. Is Israel a progressive society? Not in comparison to Europe. The youth’s role-models are from the outside, mostly American. American bands and American films. Even politically, most thinkers are not from Israel. Although there is something very socially progressive because it is a mix of so many communities and so many different people which creates a kind of richness that is not found in a lot of places in Europe. The style that most people adhere to is taking it easy, being good to each other, while trying to step out of the industrial society and go back into nature; hippie culture. What are your personal plans for the next 5 years? In two years I want to finish my bachelor's in Philosophy and Geography. I would like to do a Master's in sustainable environment or transportation, in Germany or Brazil. I don’t like to make plans, I like to keep it open. So maybe I want to live outside of Israel for a while. What did you learn from this experience? Since high school I have been pretty sure of my stance. I was questioning a lot and justifying myself all the time so I was aware of my political stance but when you are with people from other countries, you don’t have the same foundations. So here I had to create foundations and it may be the first time that I dealt with it. What was you experience with meeting Basel (IS from Palestine). I was really excited before I even got on the ship. It was really important for me to meet someone who is active in Palestine. Basically, it was my main motivation to come on Peace Boat, and he became the essence of my experience here. Now that I know him, he’s no longer 'the Palestinian guy', he’s Basel. The issue was once just an ideology, now it's more personal. Do you think you’ll be able to meet with him after this? I really hope so. I think this voyage was the first step for some important political goals in our lives and I think we need to continue this movement in its natural environment, off the ship. If the purpose is to create something real, a real friendship or a partner for political change, it has to come in its natural environment. How do you feel about getting off the ship? I’m sad. Our voyage was only beginning. And it's a surprise for me to feel that way. I usually don’t confront my emotions or say how I feel. I’m usually prepared, but this time I’m not prepared. We had dates, when to embark, when to disembark but we didn’t know what would happen in between. When we came we didn’t think about a social life but when we came here we realized it’s all about social life. We didn’t imagine real people, we didn’t imagine friends. I’ll never forget this experience. |
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