The purpose of the conference was to openly discuss the moral, religious, legal and humanitarian aspects of the Israeli military attacks on Gaza last December and January. Since the attacks on Gaza, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and B’Tselem among other groups have led investigations into Israel’s adherence to international law, the extent to which the Israeli military did or did not avoid civilian casualties, and the use or lack of proportionality. A report by the United Nations Fact-Finding Commission on the Gaza Conflict is further due to be released in the coming weeks.

Held in Jerusalem, the conference of Rabbis for Human Rights included journalists, doctors were present in Gaza during the attacks, rabbis who formerly served in the military, legal experts, and panelists from Breaking the Silence and B’Tselem. While the conference organizers were pleased with the turn out, they also lamented the noticeable absence of one particular group: the Israeli military.

According to Rabbi Arik Asherman, Executive Director of Rabbis for Human Rights, the group tried extensively to work with the military, but all efforts proved fruitless. "We are perplexed by the IDF’s decision, which raises serious questions about the willingness of the IDF to scrutinize its own behavior. The moral questions that arise have such far-reaching ramifications that we are all obligated to put aside our differences so we can save what unites us," noted Asherman in the Jerusalem Post.

Defending the decision to boycott the event, a senior military representative noted that the conference sponsors intended to damage the military, according to Haaretz. While the army’s chief education officer, Brig. Gen. Eli Shermeister expressed interest in the conference, his seniors would not permit him to attend.

As one conference participant voiced during a question and answer session, the absence of an official representative from the military is indicative of a fear of openly questioning the military within Israeli society. A panelist from Breaking the Silence agreed, arguing that some soldiers’ reluctance to discuss their service illustrates how the military is treated as a body entirely separate from the rest of society. A panelist in a later session concurred, stating that war will allow one to commit acts that most of us would consider immoral within the context of civilian society.

Towards the end of the conference, feminist peace activist Leah Shakdiel called on Israeli society to become more humanist, less extremist, and more supportive of soldiers who wish to speak out about and question their experiences in the army. Other panelists likewise underscored the importance of asking questions.

Yet according to the conference sponsor, the military’s absence points to its unwillingness to "examine its own conduct." In a vein of thinking similar to that of the Israeli military, a group of youth from a right-wing Zionist organization protested outside the conference venue, calling members of Rabbis for Human Rights traitors for raising moral and legal questions about the attacks on Gaza.