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The glossary is comprised of nearly 250 terms related to the Israeli-Palestinian context. Given the rapidly shifting landscape, these terms cannot capture the full range of nuances, narratives and historical events. This tool is meant as a starting point and we encourage you to continue your exploration of this topic through further research. Last update and review: September 2015.

Shministim

(Hebrew for "twelfth graders") A movement of high school students that publicly refuse to serve in the Israeli army due to their conscientious objection to occupation and oppression by the Israeli military. They chose to go by the name "Shministim" as a reference to a group of high school seniors who wrote a letter to the late Prime Minister Golda Meir expressing their concern about the Israeli occupation on the eve of their draft into the army. Today's Shministim often serve time in prison, as do many other refuseniks. See "The Shministim Letter 2008." See also december18.org.