Israeli Draft Resister Tal Mitnick Is a Hero
Eighteen-year-old Israeli Tal Mitnick has just been sent to prison for refusing to enlist in the army and participate in what he calls a “war of revenge” in Gaza. He’s a hero.
Tal Mitnick, the eighteen-year-old who refused to serve in the Israeli army in opposition to the occupation of Palestinian territories and the bombing and killing of civilians in Gaza, speaks during a special interview in Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 25, 2023. (Mostafa Alkharouf / Anadolu via Getty Images)
On Monday, an eighteen-year-old Israeli named Tal Mitnick quoted on Twitter/X a particularly striking verse of “Have You Been to Jail for Justice?”, written by the late folk singer Anne Feeney.
The song starts with a blunt statement that “laws are made by people” and “people can be wrong.” The lyrics continue with examples like laws against unions and laws allowing child labor in coal mines and laws denying women the right to vote. The conclusion is as simple as it is undeniable. Some laws need to be broken.
A teenager might post song lyrics to social media for any number of reasons. But Feeney’s song had an obvious personal significance for Mitnick. The day after he put up the verse, he was sentenced to thirty days in jail for refusing to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
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