Mattan here. I am the executive director of Refuser Solidarity Network and I am a refuser who spent 110 days in prison because I refused to take part in the occupation. Refuser Solidarity Network is a network–and that means that you are part of it. Our model is decentralized. We provide spontaneous refusers with the tools they need to get organized to become a political force.
This work, of offering support, tools and amplification is at the core of our work, and it's also how you, our supporters around the globe, can support the Israeli resistance and end the occupation. We rely on you to bring refusers' stories and message to the world, to put a stop to the genocide in Gaza.
When I was imprisoned for 110 days, I relied on supporters from far and wide, across the world, to make my refusal meaningful on an international scale. I hoped that my sacrifice and imprisonment would reveal the criminal Israeli state's contradictions, and while I was behind bars, I relied on global supporters to carry my message forward.
Today, as Executive Director of RSN, I continue to rely on global solidarity so that we can continue to carry out our work. We need you to help us reach our mid-year goal of $30,000 so that we can continue to expand the growing refuser wave currently taking place. If you have already donated, share our campaign with your communities.
Why is amplification so important? When I was 16, I decided to refuse to serve in the army because of the […] occupation. It was not out of a drive for moral purity, but rather to declare that this must end, and use my refusal to spread this message and confront others. Refusing is not only a personal act of conscience, but above all a political act to mobilise people against the occupation.
Being imprisoned, sacrificing my freedom, social status and facing consequences for my choice put me in a position to create an impact. People are often puzzled at first. "Why doesn't he serve like everyone else? Why does he prefer to be in prison rather than be in the army? What is the army doing that is so bad?" They are confronted with the injustice and the oppression, and can not ignore it. They must take a stand, an action.
It's true both in Israel and on an international scale. Our actions open up new possibilities, people become open to new perspectives, our voice creates an impact and mobilises people as part of a wider movement. That is why the act of refusal is so powerful, it is powerful as long as our voice has been amplified. That is why we are focusing on refusers' voices at RSN, and it's just as important that you do too. This is why we need you, and all our supporters to help us to amplify their voices.
This is how we build power across borders. This is how we grow a refusal movement that can take on a genocidal war machine and win. Right now, we are seeing a sharp rise in interest and resistance. Soldiers are breaking ranks. Protesters are flooding the streets. More and more people are starting to ask: What can I do? If you've been wondering the same thing, we are calling on you to join us.
Just last month, the Israeli authorities imprisoned the first reservist refuser in recent memory. The cracks are emerging, and the war effort is unraveling. Now more than ever, we are counting on you to help us reach our mid-year goal of $30,000 so that we can carry on our work in getting refusers organized and amplifying their actions. Just like I counted on you when I was imprisoned 10 years ago, I am turning to you today.
In solidarity,
Mattan Helman
Executive Director
Refuser Solidarity Network
(Taken from an email sent to me by Refuser Solidarity Network. Emphasis original.)