Natan Blanc, 20, declared unfit for duty after being jailed 10 times for refusing to enlist soon after eight-day war in Gaza
A young conscientious objector who has been jailed by Israel for a record 10 times since last November has finally won his battle to be exempted from compulsory military service.
Natan Blanc, 20, from Haifa, was declared unfit for duty on Thursday, six months after he refused to enlist, citing his opposition to Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory. By the time he is released from his current jail term next Thursday, he will have served a total of 177 days in military prison.
The Israeli Defence Forces exemption committee decided to allow Blanc to undertake a period of civilian service in lieu of a three year stint in the army.
Blanc refused to enlist for the army days after the eight-day war in Gaza last November, but the roots of his decision lay in Operation Cast Lead, the war in Gaza that began at the end of 2008 and ended three weeks later with a Palestinian death toll of around 1,400. In a statement issued when he was first imprisoned, Blanc said: "The wave of aggressive militarism that swept the country then, the expressions of mutual hatred, and the vacuous talk about stamping out terror and creating a deterrent effect were the primary trigger for my refusal." He added: "We, as citizens and human beings, have a moral duty to refuse to participate in this cynical game."
In an interview with the Guardian in April, Blanc said he was proud at standing up for his beliefs, despite the personal cost. "I may have caused some damage to my future, but it's minor compared to the principle at stake."