This musician has been in prison seven times for refusing to serve in the IDF

Israeli musician Omar Saad has been in prison seven times. He is eighteen years old.

As a Druze, he is required to serve in Israel's army the IDF - unlike other Israeli Arabs.

But viola player Saad, who is currently touring Britain with his three siblings as the Galilee Quartet, told i100 he considers himself Palestinian which is why he did not want to serve. "I have friends in the West Bank and Gaza. I play music there, I have musical family there." He went on: "I don’t want to be part of the army of institute that takes part in occupation, or human rights abuses."

While some Israelis dodge conscription in Israel by feigning physical or mental illness, Saad said he never wanted to lie.

"Why should I pretend that I’m crazy just to have a normal life? I’m completely normal. I have dreams, I have music, but I don’t want to be in an army that occupies my own people", he said.