ISRAEL: Update on imprisoned conscientious objectors
War Resisters' International received updated information on several
imprisoned Israeli conscientious objectors.
Conscientious objector Aviv
Sela (ISR14786) returned to the Induction Base to be imprisoned for the
second time in a row on 16 May 2006. He had been sentenced to a first
prison term of 21 days on 5 April 2006 (see co-alert, 10 April 2006).
In a letter to the Minister of Defence, he explained his refusal:
“I, Aviv Sela, hereby present you with my request to be exempted
from military service on grounds of conscience, according to section 36
of the 1986 law of military service (combined version). I would like to
ask you to refer this request to the authorized exemption committee.
…Though I did not grow up in an activist or political family, my family
believed in humane values and in human equality and respect. My
parents are not active in peace or human rights organizations: their
one political activity is going to the ballot box.
…The more I saw of the occupied territories, the more clearly could I
see the complexity of Palestinian society. When you are inside Israeli
society you get the impression that Palestinian society is an extremist
terrorist society. Once you are able to put aside these
simplifications, you discover a complex society, with various factions
and different ideas, and a variety of modes of struggle. This is how I
got to know about non-violent protest, Palestinian protest, conducted
either indirectly or directly, which has gained widespread publicity in
Israel and internationally.
…These visits I made to the occupied territories gave me a better
insight into what was happening on the other side of the Green Line and
they are a major part of how I have come to understand the Israeli
government's policy in the territories as illegitimate and something I
cannot be part of”.
Before going back to prison, Aviv Sela made the following statement:
"After my first term in prison, I remain determined not to take part
in the policy of occupation carried out by the IDF, and I am glad that
I have the opportunity to present other youths with the option of
avoiding military service."
Aviv Sela is due to be released from prison on 9 June.
Conscientious objector Eyad Raleb Sif (ISR14794) is still serving his
prison term. Eyad Raleb Sif was enlisted into the Israeli Border Police
in Nov. 2004, and was stationed after basic training to serve, mainly
at road blocks, checkpoints and the Separation Wall near the
Palestinian West Bank town of QalQilia. His experience there drove him
to change his mind about serving in the Israeli military. He was
increasingly uneasy about the oppression and abuse of his own,
Palestinian, people, that he was part of. Eventually he decided to
refuse, went AWOL, and was sentenced to 70 days in prison on 18 Apr. He
was initially held in Military Prison No. 4, where he was mistreated
and physically abused by prison wardens for refusing to call them
"commander". on 27 Apr. he was transferred to Military Prison No. 6,
where the mistreatment ceased. He is due to be released from prison on
19 June.
Conscientious objector Maayan
Padan (ISR14795), a pacifist woman CO, was sentenced to 21 days in
prison on 25 Apr. for refusing to enlist. Maayan appeared before the
military Conscience Committee in February, but was rejected, apparently
because she has worked as a waitress in a food chain for a while
despite being vegetarian (this seems to serve as evidence enough for
the Conscience Committee to reject a CO's appeal). Since early 2005,
women COs in Israel are referred to the same internal military
Conscience Committee as male COs (despite official legal recognition of
women's right to CO), and there is no right of appeal on the
Committee's decisions.
On 16 May she was sentenced to 7 days in prison for refusal to enlist,
and on 21 May she was given 21 more days in prison for staying AWOL
between prison terms. Maayan has begun serving her prison term of 28
days in total on 21 May, and is due to be released on 15 June.
Before returning to prison, Maayan made the following statement:
"Today, after my first prison term, I am stronger in my stand, that
we should struggle to dismantle military organisations as such and to
stop entrenching militarism in society. Children looking up to 'soldier
heroes' interpret violent acts in a positive light and shape their
characters and worldviews around them. Parents dress their babies as
soldiers. Our sould are sacrifised in the name of land, but this
sacrifise is a fiction, used as excuse to continue the systematic
occupation, oppressing the spirit of the Palestinian people and
creating deep grievances eventually leading to the desperate protest of
terrorism. It is our duty to pose an alternative and to struggle for
its right to exist."
War Resisters' International calls for letters of support to Aviv Sela,
Eyad Raleb Sif, and Maayan Padan:
Aviv Sela, Military ID 6883615
Eyad Raleb Sif, Military ID 7406109
Military Prison No 6
Military Postal Code 01860
IDF
Israel
Maayan Padan, Military ID 6151802
Military Prison No 400
Military Postal Code 02447
IDF
Israel
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/20060531a.html.
War Resisters' International calls for the immediate release of
conscientious objectors Aviv Sela, Eyad Raleb Sif, Maayan Padan, and
all other imprisoned conscientious objectors.
Andreas Speck
War Resisters' International
Addresses
Mr Amir Peretz
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
Commander of Military Prison No 400
Military Prison No 400
Military postal number 02447
IDF, Israel
Fax: +972-3-9579389
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
Archives of co-alert can be found at http://wri-irg.org/news/alerts