Ishai Menuchin, a major in the Israeli Defense Forces and the founder of Yesh Gvul, the oldest Israeli organization to support Israeli soldiers who conscientiously refuse to serve in the army, spoke Thursday at Hillel, 611 Langdon St.
\I will talk basically about moral failure,"" Menuchin said in the beginning of the presentation and discussion. ""My moral failures and the things I learned from these failures.""
Menuchin was jailed for 35 days in 1983 when he refused to serve in any Palestinian territories occupied by Israel. To this day, Menuchin, who has been in the army for 20 years, refuses to serve in any occupied territories. He continues to serve in the IDF to defend his country, if need be.
""There is a total negation of the human rights of Palestinians in the occupied territories,"" Menuchin said. ""We try to show fellow citizens that occupation is not just a political or strategic matter. Occupation for us is a moral matter.""
Menuchin related personal stories he said changed his assumptions about Israeli occupation. Audience member and UW-Madison sophomore Josh Rosenthal said he was moved by the anecdotes and he would remember them in the future.
Despite this, Rosenthal said he disagreed with many of Menuchin's points.
""I believe we should withdraw from the territory eventually. If we do it when they are still attacking us, then if anything they will attack us more,"" he said.
Menuchin used an analogy to emphasize the need for the United States to mediate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
""It is like when two preschool children need a teacher to force them to sit down at a table and talk. The problem is, I'm not sure your president will do that,"" he said.
Paul Dunn, a former UW-Madison student, said Menuchin strengthened his opinions about the situation.
""I believe that it's imperative that Israel and Palestine find a way to live together. I think it's crucial that our government is active in this,"" he said.
Menuchin emphasized the democratic aspect of his efforts to end Israeli occupation. He said the group of refusers, or Israeli soldiers who refuse to serve in the IDF, are seriously committed to democratic values. He also encouraged the audience to actively support his efforts to end the occupation and reach peace, saying, ""I cannot hear your voice in Israel.""
When questioned about the current war in Iraq, Menuchin said, ""For me, the only just war is a defensive war. Any other war where there are other possibilities is an unjust war.\
