Final Update Before My Draft Date

Hello.

Tomorrow morning, I will report to the army offices in Giva’at HaTahmoshet in Jerusalem (interestingly: near Sheikh Jarrah and in occupied territory. The irony is sorta delicious), where I will inform the army of my intention to refuse service in the IDF in any capacity. The possible scenarios are as follows:

1. They will say: Wow, Rothman, your letter touched us deeply, and we have decided to let you go free. And nominate you for the Israel Prize. And buy you a lifetime supply of Dippin’ Dots.

2. They will say: Come on, just do it. I will say: No, really. They will say: No, really. I will say: No, really. Then they will understand that I am serious and unswayable, and will take me to be judged in a military court, where they will accuse me of ”disobeying orders.” I will admit to the charges but deny the crime, and will probably give some sappy speech about the moral obligation to disobey unjust orders, whereupon they will roll their eyes, snicker at my American accent, and sentence me to some period of time in military jail. I will say: Oh yeah? You and what army?… I will be sentenced for up to four weeks, probably less (and then, once I am released, the whole thing will probably start over again, but that’s for later).

3. They will say: Gotcha! And all of the soldiers will break out into song, and the passing Palestinians will join in, and it will all have turned out to be a large, Truman-Show-like build up to the final aria, which will be entitled “There is No Occupation,” and will star Mr. Edmund Levy, with special cameo appearances of Irving Moskowitz, Khaled Meshaal and Justin Bieber.

Or it could be none of the above. I am expecting that it will be option 2, though. And I’m feeling ready, I think. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for all of the support and love I have received over the last few weeks (from all over the place! Here are the countries, in order, in which my letter got multiple views (Ok, many of them are ”2.” But still!):

I am bit nervous but affirmed that this is the right thing for me to be doing. Here is a dweeby, short poem I put together, mostly to keep myself smiling. Definitely not a masterpiece, but it’s a fun form of communicating ideas, and less dry than blobbing:

And here’s another little poem I scribbled my my notebook:

My grin is lopsided but genuine: my breath heavy in my chest: dancing in my nostrils: lolloping. My face is smooth but for the wrinkles in my head: I cut my hair: Not to let them cut my hair.

And for a few other outpourings of my thoughts, here are a few interviews I did, with All for Peace Radio and with a friend, Daniel Roth.

At the suggestion of a friend, who heard of this tactic in Syria (don’t worry, I am by no means comparing the situations, blah blah blah), I have given the password to my blog to a number of family members, friends, heroes and fellow strugglers so that writing here will continue in case I am to indeed be without inter webs for the next small while. I will try to update on my situation through them, and I also asked them to simply post thoughts, reflections and blogs every now and then about justice, activism, politics, the situation, the world and like eptsetera. If anyone feels inspired to write something here, you can either leave a comment, or send an email to my brother, Jesse, at jessesrothman (at) gmail.com.

One more thought, on different types of hardness: There is the type of hardness of doing, of organizing, or writing, or running. Then there is the type of hardness of not-doing, of fasting, of not eating meat, of not freaking out. This has, in some ways, been the hardness of doing thus far- I have had to decide what to do, to write, to talk to people, to set things in order- but from here on out, I think, it switches into more of the hardness of not doing, which in some ways, feels easier? Or, at least, different-er. That’s all.

Here I go, armed with a toothbrush and a ton of books including:

That’s all for allora. Whoa. So much love,

-Mori

(After all of this melodrama and preparation, I can totally see things going in the direction of 1 or 3, and them saying like ”oh, actually we wanted to draft a different Moriel Rothman, you’ve been exempt for years.” Which, though, would actually be a huge victory. Especially if they my release is done musically. IDFcapella.)

17Comments

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1

100,000 (and top ten) | The Leftern Wall on May 13, 2014 at 06:48

[…] 8. Final Update Before My Draft Date (October 23rd, 2012) & A poem written on a shoe with a pen I snuck in my underwear into a skeletal cell in the IDF’s pre-jail holding center (November 5th, 2012) & Free (November 14th, 2012) […]
2

Ruth Poulsen on October 30, 2012 at 14:45

Thank you for what you’re doing, and for speaking out about it!
3

Chrischa Van de Voorde on October 26, 2012 at 16:13

I wish they all had your courage. Be well!
4

marthiemombergblog on October 25, 2012 at 10:45

Thank you, thank you, thank you for being so strong and quirky on the outside and so soft on the inside. I salute you from South Africa. I stand with you.
5

Lin Wood on October 24, 2012 at 01:52

dear mori, ditto what lynn and tim said… we are all thinking of you and somehow we know that whatever happens – you will write and write and write… and we will all read, and support you!
love always, lin and eric
6

Nomi (Australia) on October 23, 2012 at 22:52

Moriel,
I have just spent an hour reading through your incredible array of blog posts.
You have touched on so many of the ideological and moral challenges and questions I have faced and continue to as a Jew, as someone has gone through a similar journey to you in terms of Israel and Jewish nationalism and as citizen of this wide world.
I wish you behatzlacha raba as you face this choice of yours, and thank you for sharing your thoughts, your script of Mori and Moriel (sensational) and showing that although we may ultimately reach a decision about something, the decision comes on the back of deep thought and contemplation.
All the very best,
Nomi
7

Jenni on October 23, 2012 at 22:22

I second Ido. Keep up your amazing spirit. They’ll be lots of people in the world thinking of you as you report to the induction board. Peace.
8

George A. on October 23, 2012 at 21:55

Mori,

My thoughts are with you. I will follow this blog and your facebook closely. You are brave and I admire you. Be safe.

-George (from MIdd)
9

Ido on October 23, 2012 at 21:48

Dear Moriel,
I always learn from you. This time I learned that Jersey is actually a name of a country. I also learned that is has less than 100,000 citizens, and thus, your blog being read by more than 2 people, makes it a Jersey Time Best Seller.

Good luck, keep up your amazing spirit, and thanks for doing this.
10

gaiab on October 23, 2012 at 21:28

My thoughts will b with u. May u b able to feel peaceful. Alone in berlin is great (maybe without the prison scenes in your situation….) and bukovski in jail? If u need practical help in jerusalem try me. Respect!
11

Scott Ullman on October 23, 2012 at 21:12

I’m very, very proud of you. Scott Ullman
12

lynn sontag on October 23, 2012 at 20:43

Much love and respect to you, Mori, and courage. We are thinking of you a lot. Lynn and Tim
13

Jake Short on October 23, 2012 at 19:59

Peace and prayers from a fellow conscientious objector to war and violence (who was also born in Ohio).
14

Jon Simons on October 23, 2012 at 19:35

Dear Moriel,

some time in early 1995 I had a similar eve of induction experience. I had come on aliyah from the UK in 1984, graduate of the Zionist youth movement Habonim-Dror, of which I’d been the national secretary for 2 years. I didn’t have too many illusions, though, as our left-leaning movement encouraged us (as I encouraged myself and others) to be critical of what the government was up to, of settlements, occupation and so on. I was studying at the Hebrew University when the first intifada broke out, and soon found myself going on many demonstrations big and small, then became one of the organizers of the Rapprochement dialogue group between West Jerusalem and Beit Sahour.

I’d done my best to postpone even the few months of service I was due for as an immigrant already in my 30s, but they finally caught up with me. My good friend Ofer Cassif had been the first reservist to refuse to serve in the occupied territories during the intifiada, and I knew pople in Yesh Gvul who told me what to expect if I refused to go to the OT. I’m more stubborn than brave, so felt I should stick to my principles. When the time came to get on a bus going to Bad 4 for basic training, I refused.

I was lucky though, and became one of the “grey” refuseniks. It turned out there wasn’t enough room on the bases for our intake, so once I’d taken a hint form the CO of the induction, and put up with an hour or so of badgring, persuasion, even a but of pushing and pulling, I came up with some personal reasons to delay again that he was satisfied with, and after a week of making sandwiches at Bakum I was free until the next call-up date some months later (but moved back to the UK as I got an academic position there).

You won’t have the luxury I had, as by now it’s really hard to pretend or beleive that even to serve within the Green Line isn’t also unethical, a part of the occupation.

Be strong but humble, patient and determined, and if it turns out that just tomorrow they announce an Oslo III, that peace has broken out, the army is withdrawing, the refugees are returning, and so they really don’t need you, I’m sure you won’t mind missing this opportunity to be a hero.
15

middleburydlwc on October 23, 2012 at 19:31

I’m so glad you’re acting upon your values. I hope you’ll have a short, peaceful and inspiring time on the other side of freedom.
Bear hugs,
Amitai
16

Mich on October 23, 2012 at 19:22

stop playing it a peace activist, your are a pure Zionist. The way you see the occupation shows the fact you are not a real peace activist. Zionism will never meet with peace, justice, and equality. Stop victimizing yourself.
When you call for freedom & justice, think about the fact that as long as Israel existed there will no be any justice and any peace .. in your “holly- land”…
17

yehielgrenimann1 on October 23, 2012 at 19:08

Dear Moriel,

Be strong and of good courage. Be prepared for a lot of waiting around and uncertainty, Use your humour to get you through what you’ve chosen to do

I can’t be there physically tomorrow for work and health reasons, but you have my prayers.

may G-d be with you,.

Yehiel