Itamar Greenberg
Itamar Greenberg is a Jewish Israeli anti-war activist. Greenberg received international intention for his refusal to serve in the Israel Defense Forces, declining to seek an exemption and ultimately serving 197 days in prison, one of the longest sentences for a conscientious objector.
Biography
Early life and family
Greenberg was born to into a large Haredi family in Bnei Brak in 2006. His father, Avi, an IDF reservist, began recruiting young people from ultra-Orthodox communities in Israel, people who historically have not served in the IDF, after the October 7 attacks. His mother, Ela, voiced support for his activism and called him a moral role model. During his youth, he studied at a yeshiva.Military objection and imprisonment
Like most young Israeli citizens, Greenberg was subject to the mandatory military service. On August 5, 2024, at 18, he declined to serve on conscientious grounds, saying that he did not want to take part in what he described as genocide in Palestine. As a result, he was sentenced to prison on multiple occasions, given the opportunity to report for the draft after each release.Over five prison sentences between August 2024 and April 2025, Greenberg served a total of 197 days at Neve Tzedek Prison, the longest sentence of any conscientious objector in twenty years. Previously, Tair Kaminer served a total of 150 days for her refusal to serve in the IDF in 2016. He declined to seek a medical exemption, as is common among Haredi Israelis, from military service, which would've allowed him to avoid prison and social stigma. He said that by seeking a medical exemption, he would've been hiding his reasons for refusing to serve. He was ultimately involuntarily granted an exemption due to "a history of poor behavior," an exemption the courts have given conscientious objectors who've continuously refused to enlist.
Greenberg said the he did not get along with other inmates, telling The New York Times that the majority of his cellmates were IDF soldiers charged with crimes who, despite their history with the IDF, collectively threatened him for his anti-war activism. For his own protection, there were times when he was moved into solitary confinement.