Disillusioned

Idan - Jailed for refusing to serve in the IDF reserves

Dec 30, 2023

Idan Landau, a political blogger and professor at Tel Aviv University, shares his journey as a conscientious objector in the IDF. He discusses the moral complexities of military service, emphasizing his awakening to social justice issues shaped by his upbringing. The conversation highlights the impact of occupation on Palestinian society and the importance of empathy. Idan also addresses the emotional challenges faced by those who refuse service and the chilling effects of political shaming in academia, advocating for critical media literacy and ethical dialogue.

01:22:36

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Idan Landau

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Idan's journey from a Zionist upbringing to questioning military narratives illustrates the transformative power of critical awareness and literature.

Experiences during reserve duty forced Idan to confront the brutal realities of occupation, leading to his decision to refuse military service.

The importance of fostering empathy and understanding between Israelis and Palestinians is emphasized as a means to challenge binary thinking.

Deep dives

Personal Journey of Disillusionment

The speaker recounts a transformative journey from being raised as a Zionist in Israel to questioning the ideological narratives they grew up with. This process of disillusionment often begins with formative experiences, including early exposure to social justice issues through family protests during times of conflict. Influential literature, particularly anti-war novels, played a crucial role in shaping the speaker's understanding of the complexities surrounding military service. This awakening highlights the importance of critical questioning and the gradual recognition of the nuances in social and political contexts.

Intro

2min

Awakening Realities: A Journey Through Conflict

18min

Empathy and Identity in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

7min

Camaraderie and Conscience

5min

Refusal and Resilience: A Journey of Conscience

8min

Chilling Effects of Political Shaming in Academia

11min

From Op-Eds to Blogging: A Journey of Political Expression

16min

Challenging Militarism and Democracy in Israel

9min

Challenging Identity and Finding Solidarity

6min

Idan Landau is a political blogger, who began writing his Blog "Do not Die as a Fool" in 2008. There, he posted hundreds of pieces, many of them extensive, investigative articles on the occupation, with emphasis on the topics of land confiscation and settlement expansion, military violence, social injustice, arms trade, Israeli surveillance technology, media and propaganda, and more. Idan has been jailed three times in military prison for refusing to serve in the reserve service of the IDF. He is also a professor of linguistics at Tel Aviv University and lives with his family in Tel Aviv.

Check out our bonus episode on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Yehavit

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A few important disclaimers:

This podcast is created and funded by me privately. I don’t belong to any organization, nor does it represent anyone other than myself.

Secondly, I don’t intend this content to provide a justification or excuse for the actions people interviewed did in their past, but rather to learn from their personal experiences and gain insight as to what the process of transformation looks like. Certain parts of the episode could be triggering for you, and I advise taking into consideration that some of the events discussed are morally and ethically challenging (to say the least).

And lastly:

I acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which I work as the indigenous people of this country, and pay my respects to their elders, past and emerging.

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Thank you Roy Geva for the soundtrack

You can contact me at @yehavit on Instagram (or write to yehavit@gmail if you’re not on Instagram).

Stuff we mentioned:

Idan’s blog: https://idanlandau.com/

Idan Landau on Twitter: https://twitter.com/idanlandau

Yesh Gvul: https://www.yesh-gvul.org.il/english

Im Tirtzu: https://imti.org.il/en/

B’Tselem: https://www.btselem.org/node

Eyal Klein’s Blog:

Yossi Gurvitz’s Blog: https://www.hahem.co.il/friendsofgeorge/