Yonatan Shapira: from Israeli air force officer to solidarity activist
Channel: UBC Progressive Jewish Alliance
Date: 2015-12-03

For the Progressive Jewish Alliance UBC’s first educational event, conscientious objector Yonatan Shapira will speak about his transformation from an obedient officer in the Israeli air force to a solidarity activist. Shapira was one of 27 Israeli air force officers who denounced assassinations carried out in the densely-populated Gaza Strip. The 27 were dismissed from the air force, and Yonatan went on to co-found Combatants for Peace with other disillusioned Israeli and Palestinian ex-fighters.

He has sailed with three of the boats carrying humanitarian aid and nonviolent activists to break the longstanding Israeli siege of the Gaza Strip, and taken part in numerous other nonviolent actions and campaigns in opposition to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory.

Co-sponsored by the Canadian Boat to Gaza, Canadian Memorial United Church, Independent Jewish Voices-Vancouver, the Social Justice Committee of the Unitarian Church of Vancouver, and the Vancouver Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends (Quakers).