Looking over his shoulder for eavesdroppers in a cafe, an Israeli anti-war campaigner leaned closer to a woman who plans to refuse military enlistment, risking jail time during Israel’s unrelenting Gaza offensive.

“The decision to refuse is brave,” said activist Nave Shabtay Levin, 20, who was jailed for 115 days until last March for refusing the draft.

“It is more brave during wartime,” he said, addressing 18-year-old Sofia Orr who sat next to him in an outdoor Tel Aviv cafe.

Last month, Israeli teen Tal Mitnick became the first “conscientious objector” to be imprisoned for refusing mandatory military service since Israel’s fighting with Hamas erupted on October 7, according to volunteer group Mesarvot.

Some of Mitnick’s supporters from Mesarvot, Hebrew for “we refuse”, have publicly declared plans to follow in his footsteps, voicing opposition to the fighting and Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories.

Refusal to enlist is a lonely political position, especially as nationalist sentiment soars during wartime, in a country where the military is widely seen as a cornerstone of national identity and army service an important rite of passage.

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