In New York, Israeli conscientious objectors find community after ostracism
Al Jazeera
Mandatory military service in Israel has left some young Israelis facing a stark choice: fight or be branded outsiders.
New York, United States – He feared being called a “mishtamet”. A draft dodger. Someone who shrinks from their responsibility.
But at age 17, Jewish social worker Asaf Calderon made a fateful decision: not to participate in the mandatory military service required of nearly all Israeli citizens.
Instead, he pursued and was granted a medical exemption for mental health reasons. Still, his choice came with a cost.
A soft-spoken man with round glasses and a tender smile, Calderon, 34, noticed that, afterwards, his friends started to seem distant. Members of his family fell out of contact.
He realised his decision had left him a pariah in Israel, even among his loved ones. He eventually moved away to New York City.
