Palo Alto : "Refuseniks"

Refuseniks, a new film by Sonja de Vries, documents the story of Israeli men and women who refuse to serve in the military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, using stunning archival footage, still photos, and interviews. In Refuseniks, we meet several Israelis from different walks of life, including 18-year-old Shani, a signer of an influential open letter from high school students to Ariel Sharon condemning the occupation, and Rami Kaplan, an officer who admits to ordering his men to shoot prisoners. Tel Belo, a medic in the army, wonders if his actions in the territories caused a young boy to become a suicide bomber. One of the refuseniks, Matan Kaminer, used to live in Palo Alto, where he volunteered at Peninsula Peace and Justice Center as a teenager. Tanya Reinhart, an Israeli journalist, contributes a historical perspective. Refuseniks is a moving portrait of men and women who were willing to risk imprisonment to take a stand against the occupation by refusing to serve - and who came to believe that this stand was crucial to their own humanity and to the future of their country.

$5 to $10 suggested donation ~ Sponsored by Peninsula Peace and Justice Center