co-alert
conscientious objectors need our support
ISR14726-14762-031105
War
Resisters' International, London, 3 November 2005
ISRAEL: Nineth prison term for conscientious objector Alex Kohn
Conscientious objector Alex
Kohn (ISR14726) has been sentenced to a ninth prison term of 14 days on
26 October 2005. He has already spent 150 days in military prison. Alex Kohn is one of the initiators of the Shministim letter. In his own refusal letter, he wrote:
"The occupation is not right. It is the result of policy and not imposed by circumstances. The means employed in its framework are also not right. The extent and power of its ramifications for the Palestinians and for the Israelis cannot be grasped. It is therefore unacceptable by any moral standard. Because one cannot serve in the army without taking part in the occupation, I cannot, in good conscience, enlist. In recent years I have been an activist for a more just society generally, and for the end of the occupation in particular. I cannot set aside my vision and enlist in a system that I have come out against. Just as I adhere to natural nutrition in order to avoid taking part in financing the exploitation of animals that I stand against, similarly I cannot take part in the policy of occupation and ghettoization. I cannot shoot and cry, talk about morality and stand at a checkpoint, oppose oppression and drive a bulldozer. I see the duty to avoid serving the occupation as a comprehensive moral duty, and therefore I joined friends in drafting the new "Letter of the Shministim" that announces publicly our unwillingness to take part in the occupation and calls on other youth to consider and to do as we have done."
Uri Natan (ISR14762) has been sentenced to a third prison term of 21 days on 30 October 2005. He has so far spent 28 days in prison.
War Resisters' International calls for letters of protest to the Israeli authorities, and Israeli embassies abroad. An email letter can be sent at http://www.wri-irg.org/co/alerts/20051103a.html.
War Resisters' International calls for the immediate release of conscientious objectors Alex Kohn and Uri Natan, and an end to the repeated imprisoned conscientious objectors.
Andreas Speck
War Resisters' International
Addresses
Shaul Mofaz
Minister of Defence,
Ministry of Defence,
37 Kaplan st.,
Tel-Aviv 61909,
Israel
e-mail: sar@mod.gov.il or pniot@mod.gov
Fax: +972-3-696-27-57 / +972-3-691-69-40 / +972-3-691-79-15
Commander of Military Prison No 4
Military Prison No 4
Military Postal Code 02507
IDF, Israel
Fax: +972-3-957-52-76
Commander of Military Prison No 6
Military Prison No 6
Military postal number 01860,
IDF, Israel.
Fax: +972-4-869-28-84
Addresses of Israeli embassies can be found at http://www.embassyworld.com/embassy/israel1.htm
Addresses of Israeli media:
Ma'ariv:
2 Karlibach st.
Tel-Aviv 67132
Israel
Fax: +972-3-561-06-14
e-mail: editor@maariv.co.il
Yedioth Aharonoth:
2 Moses st.
Tel-Aviv
Israel
Fax: +972-3-608-25-46
Ha'aretz (Hebrew):
21 Schocken st.
Tel-Aviv, 61001
Israel
Fax: +972-3-681-00-12
Ha'aretz (English edition):
21 Schocken st.
Tel-Aviv, 61001
Israel
Fax: +972-3-512-11-56
e-mail: letters@haaretz.co.il
Jerusalem Post:
P.O. Box 81
Jerusalem 91000
Israel
Fax: +972-2-538-95-27
e-mail: news@jpost.co.il or letters@jpost.co.il
Jerusalem Report:
Fax: +972-2-537-94-89
Radio (fax numbers):
Kol-Israel +972-2-531-33-15 and +972-3-694-47-09
Galei Tzahal +972-3-512-67-20
Television (fax numbers):
Channel 1 +972-2-530-15-36
Channel 2 +972-2-533-98-09
wri-irg.org