Yesh Gvul: Adopting a refusenik

Yesh Gvul have found over the years that an effective way of supporting jailed refuseniks, is by having them adopted by support groups from outside of Israel.

Whenever a refusenik is jailed, support groups are alerted, sparking a broad range of activities. Emails, letters and phone calls go out to the refusenik's family and to the jail where he is held; the adoption group exerts political pressure with protests to the nearest Israeli diplomatic mission, while conducting extensive actions within its own community. The adoption group also offers material assistance, raising funds to help the refusenik's dependants.

Practical Steps

Moral Support

As soon as the group declares its willingness to adopt a prisoner, a complete kit goes out including personal information -- age, occupation, marital status (and hopefully a picture), phone and mail contacts, details of family members that request contact, and recommendations by the refusenik's counselor in Israel about how to provide support. Such calls are of enormous help at a time of great stress.

Political Action

Protests in support of the prisoner and calling for his/her release at the nearest Israeli mission, tied in with pressure on local media/politicians etc. with the intention of bringing pressure on the IDF and the Israeli government.

Financial support

Reservists called in for active duty get their civilian salary replaced by Israeli National Insurance. Needless to say, refuseniks who are jailed are denied this support. Keren Yesh Gvul (the Yesh Gvul Fund) provides refuseniks requesting financial assistance with approximately $750 US for a month in prison. Groups can help out by raising this money and making out a check to the order of: "Keren Yesh Gvul", to be mailed to: PO Box 6953, Jerusalem 91068, ISRAEL

Groups in Israel acting in support of conscientious objectors

Ometz Le'sarev ("Courage to Refuse")

A group of reserve combat officers and soldiers whose initial refusal declaration in January 2002 generated widespread controversy throughout Israel and reenergised the peace movement.

http://www.seruv.org/defaulteng.asp

Yesh Gvul

The oldest and most active organisation supporting reservists who refuse to serve in the Occupied Territories (known as 'selective refusal').

Yesh Gvul, PO Box 6953, Jerusalem 91068, Israel Telephone: +972-2-6250271 info@yesh-gvul.org http://www.yesh-gvul.org

Shministim ("High School Seniors")

Once numbering 62, the Shministim now numbers 300 high school seniors who have announced that they "refuse to be soldiers for occupation."

Shministim movement PO Box 70094, Haifa 31700 Israel

shministim@hotmail.com http://www.shministim.org

New Profile

A feminist movement working to demilitarise Israeli society. Offers information and various forms of support to objectors of all kinds, and to anyone unwilling to serve in the Israeli army.

New Profile, P.O. Box 48005, Tel Aviv 61480, Israel +972-3-5160119 newprofile@speedy.co.il http://www.newprofile.org/ english

Druze Initiative Committee

Supports Druze conscientious objectors.

Druze Initiative Committee for Conscientious Objection PO Box 8, Shfar'am 20200, Israel