‘There must be another way’: Israeli 19-year-old jailed for refusing military service

‘“When I was little, I dreamt of being an IDF war pilot,” says 19-year-old Noa Gur Golan.
Now, however, the teenager is sitting in Military Prison 396 near Haifa. She’s been branded a traitor and a coward. It’s not clear when she is going to be released – she’s being detained for refusing to do her military service with the Israel Defence Force (IDF).
Noa is not allowed to receive international calls. But in her answers to The Independent’s questions, relayed via her mother Iris and aunt Michal, who were also interviewed for this exclusive story, the young woman provides an extraordinarily rare insight into what happens to young people in Israel who would rather face prison time than compromise on their opposition to Israeli policy.’

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