logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2023
24m 21s

Another Take: Why do so few Israelis ref...

Al Jazeera
About this episode

Every Saturday and Sunday, we revisit stories we’ve done that are in the news again. 

This episode was originally published on June 14, 2021

The number of Israelis who openly refuse military service due to the occupation is low; earlier this year, four teenagers refusing together was notable. The low numbers persist despite multiple international human rights groups recognizing Israel’s treatment of Palestinians as apartheid. Now, army violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank is at a high not seen in years, Israel’s most far-right government yet is on the verge of taking power, and draft refuser organizations say there’s been increased interest in what’s seen by most Israelis as a radical step. We hear from two men about why they did it, and why their decision is so rare.

In this episode: 

  • Evyatar Rubin, conscientious objector
  • Haggai Matar (@Ha_Matar), Executive Director of +972 Magazine and former conscientious objector

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Alexandra Locke with Chloe K. Li, and Halla Mohieddeen in for Malika Bilal. It was fact-checked by Ruby Zaman. Our production team includes Ashish Malhotra, Khaled Soltan, Zaina Badr, David Enders, Amy Walters, Sonia Bhagat, Fahrinisa Campana, Sari el-Khalili, and Malika Bilal. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. This episode was mixed by Tim St Clair. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer.

Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

Connect with us:
@AJEPodcasts on TwitterInstagram, FacebookThreads and YouTube

Up next
Yesterday
What does life look like for Gaza, two years into a genocide?
Gaza has faced relentless bombs and hunger for two years. Families struggle to live, children grow up in fear and hope feels distant. We speak to Al Jazeera correspondent Tareq Abu Azzoum to hear what life is really like in Gaza. How do people keep going when the world watches bu ... Show More
21m 30s
Yesterday
The objects Gaza’s women refused to leave behind
The smallest belongings can become the most powerful relics. As Palestinians are forced to flee again and again within the Gaza Strip and beyond, people carry personal items that hold deep meaning. In this episode, we explore the stories behind those objects in the midst of a war ... Show More
21m 36s
Oct 6
With Gaza in ruins, will US media name the crime?
Despite a UN inquiry and multiple human rights organizations finding that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, Western news outlets are still reluctant to use the term. After nearly two years of bombardment and at least 65,000 Palestinians dead, will they change their tune on I ... Show More
24m 40s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2024
Prince William Intervenes in Israel Gaza + Are Farmers Turning Against the Tories?
Today, we look at Prince William’s calls to end the fighting in Israel and Gaza, as the US warn Israel not to invade the city of Rafah. The US has vetoed a resolution at the UN demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza after proposing its own draft urging a temporary ceasefire. Pl ... Show More
37m 40s
Jan 2024
Who are the Houthis and why are the US and UK attacking them?
The Houthi, a political and military group in Yemen, have been attacking ships in the Red Sea since November. They say they’re targeting vessels headed to or owned by Israel as a way to support Palestinians in Gaza.Not all of the ships are connected to Israel. And now the US and ... Show More
14m 5s
Oct 2023
Britain’s Not Got Talent? Plus Labour’s response to war in Gaza
War in Gaza is getting worse by the day. How is Labour and the rest of Europe dealing with the conflict between Israel and Hamas? TIME writer Yasmeen Serhan has been speaking to people inside the war zone – she shares what she’s learned from those conversations. Plus, who on Eart ... Show More
57m 39s
Feb 2024
Commotion and a no confidence motion: What damage has the Commons Gaza row done?
The third largest party in the House of Commons, the SNP, says it doesn't have confidence in its Speaker, Lindsay Hoyle. The Speaker himself says he took decisions about how MPs debated and voted on calls for a ceasefire in Gaza because he wanted as broad a discussion as possible ... Show More
26m 14s
Feb 2024
Netanyahu on Gaza, ICJ on West Bank occupation, Oppenheimer at Bafta - Trending
Fatima Al Mahmoud gives a round-up of today’s trends.   Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again brushed off calls from around the world for a ceasefire and promised to finish the job in Gaza, with a member of his war cabinet threatening to invade Rafah by Ramadan if the I ... Show More
1m 30s
Feb 2024
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny dies in prison; Europe's reaction to Trump's incendiary remarks about NATO; Prospects for peace in the Israel-Hamas war; Giorgia Meloni's moment; Allies of Pak
This week on the show, David Remnick, editor of the New Yorker, joins the show to discuss the tragic death of Putin’s opposition leader Alexey Navalny inside a Russian prison, Navalny’s legacy, and what this means for Putin’s Russia. Then, former Prime Minister to Sweden, Carl Bi ... Show More
42m 33s
Feb 2024
Gaza : un défi économique et humanitaire pour l’Egypte
L’Egypte s’enfonce dans la crise alors que les attaques des Houthis perturbent le trafic du canal de Suez. Le tourisme est aussi touché. Dans « La Story », le podcast d’actualité des « Echos », Pierrick Fay et Justine Babin reviennent sur la situation économique et humanitaire en ... Show More
21m 8s
Feb 2024
Two years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; the dark side of El Salvador's dramatic transformation; the disturbing rise in antisemitism since October 7th; Indonesia's stunning election
This week on the show, as the war in Ukraine marks two years since Russia's invasion, Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski joins Fareed to discuss Donald Trump’s comments about letting Russia “do whatever the hell they want” with NATO countries that don’t “pay [their] own bills ... Show More
34m 20s
Nov 2020
Trust issues? Trust in the Divine.
Trust is a key ingredient in cultivating happiness. It is also one of the most important supporters of higher consciousness. Learn how to heal the trust issues of the past, and develop deep trust in the divine with the Angels’ guiding wisdom. 
1h 4m