Israeli conscientious objector says she refuses to be part of ‘endless cycle of bloodshed’

Sofi Orr, who has refused to enlist in the Israeli army, tells Al Jazeera that she will not take part in what she describes as the Israeli army’s “violent policies of oppression and apartheid”.

“I choose to refuse because there is no military solution to a political problem, and now with the war that has become more apparent than ever,” she said from the town of Pardes Hanna.

Orr explained that she hoped to reach young Israelis, even though she described herself as being part of a minority.

“Israeli society is an extremely militaristic one, and refusing [to serve] is absolutely not an accepted thing, and I am called a traitor, a self-hating Jew,” Orr said. “I get wishes for me to be raped or killed. And since the war started it has gotten worse. There has been a shift to the right, and the right was already strong.”

She explained that left-wing activists, and especially Palestinian citizens of Israel, faced repression for their beliefs and positions.

Hopes to reach young Israelis in particular, because peace is the only option. ‘There are seven million Palestinians here and seven million Israeli Jews here, and no one is going anywhere.’

“I am worried, but it’s worth it, because if only one person hears my words, and it makes them think, then it’s worth it and I’m willing to endure the consequences of that,” Orr added.

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