ISRAEL: Third prison term for conscientious objector Daniel Tsal

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On Monday, 7 June, Daniel Tsal (ISR14204) was sentenced to his third prison term, for refusing to enlist. Daniel Tsal informed the minister of defense of his refusal to enlist in the IDF five months ago: he objects to cooperate with an army that controls and oppresses. The army's "conscience committee", however, rejected his request to appear before it. He wrote in his letter: "The principles of the 'only democracy in the Middle East' have become void of meaning as a result of the trampling of the rights of about three million people, and more indirectly, due to the ongoing destruction of the foundations on which the State of Israel is supposed to be built... In such historical times, a sane individual must rise up against the system that makes the ongoing oppression possible. I have a moral obligation – not a choice but an obligation- to refuse to participate in the occupation and to struggle against the institutions that cancel such basic human rights. Any sane person, who has not yet been wholly overcome by fear and racism, must by dint of his basic humanity refuse to be part of an occupying and oppressive system such as the IDF has become". On Tuesday 13 April Daniel reported to the conscription center for enlistment. Instead, he declared his refusal there. He is likely to pay a price for this. He will be the first CO to follow the five COs – Noam Bahat, Adam Maor, Haggai Matar, Shimri Tsameret and Matan Kaminer – who were recently sentenced to one year in prison for refusing service for similar reasons. Daniel Tsal's firm decision to give clear and loud expression to his moral stance against serving in the Israeli army, in full awareness of the price he will have to pay for this, proves once more that the voice of conscience cannot be silenced by means of punishment, even not when the price may be heavy.

On 7 June, Daniel Tsal was sentenced to 14 days. He is due to be released on 18 June.

War Resisters' International calls for letters of protest to Israeli authorities, and Israeli embassies abroad. An email letter can be sent at http://www.wri-irg.org/co/alerts/20040615a.html.

War Resisters' International calls for the immediate release of Jonathan Ben-Artzi and all 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 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

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