October 2009, a new group of high school seniors ("Shministim") declared their refusal to serve the occupation -- the latest in a chain of High School Letters stretching back to 1970.

"Can a government that rules the lives of millions of people, who had no share in electing that government, claim to be a democracy? When armed young men are sent to police and suppress by force a mass of disenfranchised people, war crimes are not "excesses!"

The day after the letter was published, signatory Efi Brenner was expelled by his father from the family home. The last days before his call-up he spent at a friend's house. (On the evening of Oct. 21 the refusers organized a procession winding through the streets of downtown Tel Aviv.)

Oct 22, Brenner handed to the recruiting officer his personal letter affirming his complete objection to oppression "whether committed by a hierarchical organization such as the military, or by the human species against animals." In response he was sent off to Military Prison 6, and -- against all known regulations -- forbidden to take his books with him. But, after a few unpleasant days he was informed of the army's intention to grant him a temporary exemption on account of... being underweight.

The focus of attention shifted to Or Ben-David. She was sent to her first prison term on Oct. 29, with a release date for Nov. 15 -- but in her case officers already made clear that unless she changes her mind, more terms are likely to follow.

Ben-David arrived in prison a bit of a celebrity. She is one of a set of triplets, each one of whom has taken a different course concerning the army, and both TV and the mass circulation Yediot Aharonot invited the three siblings to joint interviews.

Or's brother Segev, one minute younger, managed to wriggle out of military service without a head-on confrontation and get himself declared "unfit" by the military authorities. Brother Etgar decided to go to the army, as part of an organized group of "patriotic environmentalists" to which he belongs. "I might be ordered to break into Palestinian homes, and I would do it -- unpleasant as it might be. But I promise not to tease and provoke my sister by boasting about it." It turns out that an older brother, Ya'ar -- who was drafted when Or was thirteen -- did just that, which hardened her resolve.

Or's refusal is quite a sharp break with the family traditions. Several relatives were involved in the pre-1948 Irgun Underground, headed by Begin, and one uncle was killed heroically fighting British soldiers at Acre. Or's mother Nira had actually followed a military career for several years doing a sensitive and classified job of which she still is forbidden to speak.

"First, I tried to get an exemption. I was not really happy about the idea of going to prison" said Or. "The Conscience Committee was a very traumatic experience, these three male officers behind the table, very arrogant and patronizing, calling me a parasite and a coward and not believing in the existence of my conscience. After that, I knew that there was no choice for me -- I had to confront them head-on, as determined and as public as I could make it -- however long it would take."

The whole family accompanied her to the Induction Base, to support her in what she chose to struggle for.