On March 12, Independent Jewish Voices (IJV) U of T and IJV Toronto and York Region hosted a panel discussion at Friends House called “Refusal then and now: Refusing complicity, resisting repression, reframing solidarity.” 

While IJV U of T is not a U of T-recognized group, the event was moderated by award-winning journalist and U of T alumna Samira Mohyeddin and featured Tal Mitnick and Einat Gerlitz — two young Israelis who were jailed for refusing to serve in Israel’s military — along with UTSC history Professor Natalie Rothman and legal academic, journalist, and U of T alumna Azeezah Kanji.

“One who refuses”

The panel began with a statement from Rothman, who shared that she too, was a refuser of Israeli military service in the 1990s. However, she noted that unlike Mitnick and Gerlitz, she “paid very little price for [her] refusal to serve.” 

Rothman discussed what she calls “co-resistance” and how it differs from other forms of protest like military refusal or conscientious objection, which is the refusal to perform a legal obligation or action due to deeply held moral or religious beliefs. 

Co-resistance, according to Rothman, is “a term that really unlocks… some very critical questions about ‘what are we resisting to? What is the past that we’re analyzing and understanding? How are we resisting?’” Instead of the responsibility being on an individual and their act of participation, co-resistance critiques the systems and institutions of oppression that mandate participation.

She described the concept of conscientious objection as “misleading” because “it can falsely maintain [a] distinction between ethical and political grounds for refusing conscription.” 

She also criticized the concept of refusal as being too “individualized” saying that people often refuse to be affected by institutions that they do not want to be part of, but neglect critiquing the very institution’s legitimacy. 

The discussion then shifted to the two Israeli military “refuseniks,” as they were referred to during the panel. 

The term refusenik or отказник, means “one who refuses,” traces back to the Soviet Union-era in Russia, when Jewish Soviet citizens who were denied the freedom to leave the country were called refuseniks. The term is now being used by pro-Palestine advocates to refer to Jewish individuals who choose not to serve in the military.

Mitnick and Gerlitz discussed their similar experiences as refuseniks. Mitnick talked about the societal isolation that comes with refusing military service in Israel, “The refusal leaves a stain for your whole life. I find myself kind of avoiding any contact with people that I don’t know, that I don’t really need.”

“I remember getting in a taxi and starting [a conversation] with a taxi driver, knowing the first thing they’ll ask is, ‘What are you doing? Are you working? Are you in the military?’ And ‘oh, why didn’t you go to the military?’” explained Mitnick.

He made headlines in 2024 as the first conscientious objector to be jailed in Israel since the October 7 Hamas-led attack. 

Later in his speech, Mitnick focused on the social challenges of refusing military service, mentioning various hardships he’s faced, including attacks on social media and rejection from family members. 

Gerlitz discussed his refusal within a broader context, saying “I sat in prison [and] it was tough at times, but it’s nothing like the conditions that Palestinians [endure] in military prisons,” referring to the numerous accounts of Palestinian prisoners being subjected to torture in Israeli prisons.

Having spent a total of 87 days in prison, Gerlitz is now a spokesperson for Mesarvot, a network of Israeli youth dedicated to supporting Jewish individuals who refuse to serve in the military.

Independent Jewish Voices speak

Jessica Elkaim — a PhD candidate in U of T’s department of English and spokesperson for IJV U of T — wrote in an email to The Varsity that “meeting Einat and Tal was emotional but affirmed the importance that we hear their voices in the diaspora — not at the expense of Palestinian voices, but so that we may build a stronger international coalition in solidarity with Palestinians.”

She continued, “My hope with this event is that it inspires more folks here and there to refuse our present reality, in a multitude of ways, so we can work together towards an anti-colonial future.”