Captain (res.) Ron Feiner, a platoon commander in the reconnaissance company of the 8207th Battalion, 228th Northern Nahal Brigade, is a career army veteran, a student of philosophy, economics, and political science at the University of Haifa, and a youth movement instructor. He said he refused his most recent call-up in order to make a clear stand against the government’s policies.
Feiner and another reservist, Daniel Yahalom, who was sentenced to five days in jail for his refusal, are members of “Soldiers for the Hostages,” a group of more than 300 reservists who have publicly declared their opposition to the ongoing war and refusal to continue reporting for reserve duty.
According to the group, Feiner participated in three separate tours of active combat on the northern front, commanded battles in Lebanon, and led a rescue mission under fire during the incident in the village of Ayta ash-Shab, in which six IDF soldiers were killed.
Over the past year, he signed two previous letters of refusal but ultimately reported for duty out of commitment to his soldiers and fellow unit members. He said he made the decision to stop reporting only recently, after realizing that government efforts to free the hostages had come to a halt and that the focus had shifted back to the war in Gaza at the hostages’ expense.
Ahead of entering prison, Feiner said: “I was sentenced by my battalion commander to 20 days in jail. As a combat officer, I’ve served 270 days in reserve duty since October 7, spending many months under constant life-threatening conditions and sacrificing my civilian life. I’m shocked by this unprecedented and disproportionate punishment.
“I told my commander that I refuse to continue serving. I’m acting from the same values that brought me to serve and fight—I love this country, but I feel my future here is slipping through my fingers. When the government publicly declares that the hostages are at the bottom of its priorities, when Smotrich apologizes to his voters for not starving the residents of Gaza or committing war crimes, and when my soldiers are called up for hundreds of days of reserve duty, I can no longer convince them to report. As a commander, I’m taking responsibility. I’m refusing on their behalf as well.”
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“Though the government may be willing to throw their futures away, I still care. I’m horrified by the never-ending war in Gaza, by the abandonment of the hostages, by the continued killing of innocent people, and by the complete lack of political vision. Morally, I can no longer continue to serve unless this changes. I must resist in every way I can to bring this war to an end.”
“I believe that once enough people speak out against this war like I am, it will lead to its end," Feiner continued. "What’s truly harming Israel’s security right now is the war itself, not people like me who are refusing to report. I believe the government’s current policies don’t reflect the values of the State of Israel. In the future, when we return to a government that genuinely contributes to defending the country, we’ll be able to return to serve. I’m at peace with my decision.”
The “Soldiers for the Hostages” group, which is supporting Feiner, released a statement saying: “Harsher punishments won’t hide the truth—that this war lacks public support. This is not how to handle the IDF’s manpower crisis. The way forward is to restore public trust and bring the 58 hostages home.”