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conscientious Objector

I Am Seeking A Discharge From The US Military Over The Gaza Genocide

February 28, 2025 Joy Metzler, Mondoweiss. , , ,
My name is Joy Metzler, and I am an active duty Air Force lieutenant, looking to gain a conscientious objector discharge. This decision is largely due to my horror over the continued U.S. support of the genocide in Gaza in direct violation of many of the same laws and values I was taught about at the Air Force Academy. I am waiting for my package to be approved, but I have been vocal about my opposition to U.S. policy in Gaza. Aaron Bushnell’s self-immolation a year ago started me on my journey, and on the anniversary of his death, I feel the weight of our country’s crimes more heavily than ever.

Resistance From Within: US Military Members Oppose War Crimes

February 10, 2025 Margaret Flowers, Clearing the FOG. , , , ,
The United States' support for the genocide in Palestine, especially since the launch of Operation Al Aqsa Flood in October 2023, has led federal employees and active duty military members to take action in opposition to violations of domestic and international law. Clearing the FOG speaks with two members of the US Air Force, Juan Bettancourt and Joy Metzler, who have applied for conscientious objector status. Together with Larry Hebert, who conducted a hunger strike in front of the White House last year, they created Servicemembers for Ceasefire to provide a space for members of the military to question US foreign policy. Bettancourt and Metzler describe their journeys, the level of dissent within the military and the deployment of US troops domestically.

Active-Duty US Service Members Appeal To Congress: Stop Funding Genocide

June 14, 2024 Marjorie Cohn, Truthout. , , , , , , , ,
On June 4, a coalition of active-duty service members, veterans and G.I. rights groups launched a campaign called Appeal for Redress V2 to encourage military personnel to tell Congress to stop funding genocide in Gaza. Israel’s genocidal operation, now in its ninth month, has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians and wounded nearly 85,000. The campaign is sponsored by Veterans For Peace (VFP), the Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild, About Face: Veterans Against the War and the Center on Conscience & War. It is modeled after the 2006 Appeal for Redress issued during the occupation of Iraq.

Activists Help ICE Agents Quit Their Jobs

October 9, 2019 Never Again Atlanta, Quit ICE. , , ,
This service is provided by Never Again Action: Atlanta, the local chapter of the national Never Again Action organization. As a Jewish-led organization, we believe we were taught to never let anything like the Holocaust happen again. We refuse to wait and see what happens with our nation’s immigration system — we know from our own history what happens next. Many of our ancestors narrowly escaped from conditions like what we are seeing today in detention centers and immigrant communities around the country. We are putting our bodies on the line because when we say never again, we mean never again for anyone. We want the same thing you do: for you to quit your job at ICE. Regardless of your reasons for quitting, we want to help you get out so there will be one less person contributing to the mass atrocities within our immigration system.

I Never Expected To Become A Conscientious Objector

November 25, 2018 Matt Malcom, World Beyond War ,
I remember asking my friend, “Mike, what if we’re the bad guys?” It’s funny, no one ever thinks they’re the bad guy. My world was falling apart. I became extremely ill on the verge of vomiting. I ran to the restroom to take care of myself but instead of throwing up, I started weeping.

Israel: Conscientious Objector Imprisoned Again

June 4, 2017 Atalya Ben-Abba, www.wri-irg.org , ,
By Atalya Ben-Abba for War Resisters League. Hello, I am Atalya Ben-Abba, 19 years old, Jerusalemite. On Feb. 6, 2017 I will declare conscientious objection to serve in the Israeli army, and will be sent to military prison for an unknown amount of time. I'm going with full knowledge and intention to take upon myself the consequences of this act, because I believe that in order to bring safety to all of the people living here we need to change entirely government policy and end the occupation. I grew up in Musrara neighborhood in Jerusalem. When I was little my mom and I would often walk around the Old City, which is close to our home. I enjoyed these tours, everything was so different and exciting, different sweets, dishes and a different language. And then, when I was about six years old the janitor of my school was killed in a terrorist attack. Then I understood we live in war, and that all of us – Jews and Arabs – live in fear.
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