ISRAEL: Update on imprisoned conscientious objectors
Information sent by Yesh G'vul & WRI

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."

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
 

First of all, please circulate this message and the information contained in it as widely as possible, not only through e-mail, but also on websites, conventional media, by word of mouth, etc.

Other recommendations for action:

Please send the imprisoned objectors letters of support (preferably postcards or by fax) to the prison addresses above. It is recommended to send letters of protest on behalf of the imprisoned objectors, preferably by fax, to

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

Copies to:

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

Avichai Mandelblit,
Chief Military Attorney
Military postal code 9605, IDF
Israel
Fax: ++972-3-569-43-70

It would be especially useful to send your appeals to the Commander of the Induction Base in Tel-HaShomer. It is this officer that ultimately decides whether an objector is to be exempted from military service or sent to another round in prison:

Amir Rogowski,
Commander of Induction Base,
Baqum, Tel-HaShomer
Military Postal Code 02718, IDF
Israel.
Fax: ++972-3-737-60-52

Copies of appeals can also be sent to:

Head of Incompatibles Unit
Induction Base (Baqum)
Tel-HaShomer
Military Postal Code 02718, IDF
Israel.
Fax: ++972-3-737-67-05.

For those of you who live outside Israel, it would be very effective to send protests to your local Israeli embassy. You can find the address of your local embassy on the web.

Here is a sample letter, which you can use, or better adapt, in sending appeals to authorities on the prisoners' behalf:

Dear Sir/Madam,

It has come to my attention that [name & military ID], a conscientious objector, has been imprisoned [his/her] refusal to perform military service for the [n-th] time in a row, and is held in Military Prison No. [400/4/6].

The imprisonment of conscientious objectors such as [name] is a violation of international law, of basic human rights and of plain morals. The repeated imprisonment of conscientious objectors is an especially grave offence, as it means sentencing a person more than once for the same offence, and has been judged by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to constitute a clear case arbitrary detention.

I therefore call for the immediate and unconditional release from prison of [name], without threat of further imprisonment in the future.

Sincerely,

Writing op-ed pieces and letters to editors of media in Israel and other countries could also be quite useful in indirectly but powerfully pressuring the military authorities to let go of the objectors and in bringing their plight and their cause to public attention.

Here are some contact details for the main media outlets in Israel:

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