The two speakers, Tal Matalon, a high school student from the Shministim group - (High School Seniors), and Dan Tamir, a member of Yesh Gvul (the most veteran refusenik group which was established during the Lebanon war in 1982) spoke movingly and elegantly about their cause to an audience of over eighty people at a lunchtime meeting in Cardiff organised by the student campaigning group Alt & Shift.
A lively discussion followed in a question and answer session with the pair, who later continued their extensive UK speaking tour with an evening session at the Malcom X community centre in ST Paul's, Bristol.
The Shministim refusenik group recently sent a letter to Ariel Sharon which included the statement:
“The state of Israel commits war-crimes and tramples over human rights, destroying Palestinian cities, towns and villages; expropriating land, detaining and executing without trial, conducting mass-demolition of houses, businesses, and public institutions; looting, closure, curfew, torture, preventing the administration of medical care, constructing and expanding settlements – All these actions are opposed to human morality, and violate international treaties ratified by Israel. In these and other actions Israel systematically prevents Palestinians from maintaining any reasonable life.”
Letter to the Prime Minister, Mr. Ariel Sharon from the Shministim, 17 September 2002