An Israeli military court has handed down one-year prison sentences on draft-resisters Haggai Matar, Amir Kaminer, Shimri Zameret, Adam Maor and Noam Bahat, over their refusal to enlist in "the army of occupation". The sentence comes on top of a year and more of pre-trial detention.
By clicking on the link below, you can send a call to free the five conscientious objectors to the Israeli embassies in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, as well as all the consulates in the United States and major Israeli officials. Let them know that you support the right of individuals to refuse to act in ways contrary to their conscience. Of all people, no Jew should ever support the idea of "just following orders".
Send a letter to the following decision maker(s):
Israeli Embassies/Consulates
Israeli Government Officials
Israeli Ministry of Interior
Below is the sample letter:
Subject: Free the 5 Conscientious Objectors!
Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],
I am deeply disturbed by the Israeli Military Court's decision to sentence five conscientious objectors to an additional year in prison. The five have already served a year or more in prison for their refusal to serve in an army of occupation.
Far better than the military, these brave young men are fighting for a better future, one which does not include an Israeli occupation of another people. They will not "just follow orders" and their right to refuse to be occupiers must be protected in any country that considers itself democratic.
I join many others in calling on Israel to immediately release these five heroes and to recognize the right of conscientious objection.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Take Action:
http://ga3.org/campaign/freethefive/eg68ss41jj3ndx
Mitchell Plitnick
Jewish Voice for Peace:
http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org
Please read the following Press Release and then continue.
PRESS RELEASE
Jewish-American Peace Group Calls For Release of Israeli Teenagers
Five Sentenced to Prison for Refusing to Serve in the Army
“Of all peoples, Jews should never just follow orders”
San Francisco, January 8, 2004 – Jewish Voice for Peace, the largest grassroots, Jewish peace group in the United States, called today for the immediate release of five young conscientious objectors who were sentenced to one year in prison on January 4. The five, Noam Bahat, Haggai Matar, Adam Maor, Shimri Tzameret and Matan Kaminer, were convicted for refusing to enter the Israeli army, as an act of co0nscientious objection to joining an army of occupation. All five have already served considerable jail time.
The refusal movement in Israel is a growing phenomenon. The Israeli peace group, Yesh G’Vul counts 1,224 members of the Israeli military and reserves who have refused to serve in the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This movement now includes members of Israel’s military elites, fighter pilots and the famous commando unit which launched the raid on Entebbe in 1976. Concern over the growth of this movement has prompted Israel to take stronger action against conscientious objectors.
“I take it as a compliment that they are so afraid of our ability to persuade others that they called us dangerous and have to lock us up,” said Haggai Matar, one of the imprisoned five. “To date the army's policy against the refuseniks was to put them in prison for three or four months. During the verdict and sentencing they said they were punishing us much more severely because we went public, because we affect other people.”
“These five brave young men are carrying on the best of the Jewish tradition,” said Mitchell Plitnick, co-Director of Jewish Voice for Peace. “Of all peoples in the world, Jews should never ‘just follow orders’. We more than anyone else know how hollow that excuse is. It is outrageous that Israel should be locking people up for refusing to be part of an occupation army. When you hear what happens during military operations, or every day at checkpoints in the Occupied Territories, you realize that it is not the right of every person, but indeed their duty to refuse to participate in these crimes.”
For more information about the refusal movement:
http://www.refusersolidarity.net
http://www.refuz.org.il/
http://www.yesh-gvul.org/english
Other articles on the Refuser Movement:
“It's because they fear us, say teenage refuseniks jailed by Israeli army”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1117573,00.html
13 Sayeret Matkal Reservists Join Refusal To Serve
http://www.rense.com/general46/serve.htm
Some Israeli Pilots Refuse Strikes
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/09/26/world/main575270.shtml
Jewish Voice for Peace is a grassroots peace organization dedicated to achieving a lasting peace that recognizes the aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians for security and self determination. We work to promote a US foreign policy based on peace, democracy, human rights and respect for international law. Contact us for background information on the silent majority of American Jews who support an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory. Mitchell@jewishvoiceforpeace.org.
Jewish Voice for Peace:
http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org
Please also see:
Five conscientious objectors begin one-year prison sentence
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/380612.html
B'Tselem hands out guidelines to soldiers at checkpoints
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/380637.html
B'Tselem Distributes Pocket-Guide for Soldiers
B'Tselem's Checkpoint Monitoring Team has begun distributing a pocket-guide to soldiers at the "siege checkpoints" - IDF checkpoints within the West Bank. The pocket-guide includes a personal appeal to soldiers from the popular musician Yuval Banai, as well as relevant IDF rules of conduct.
"Twenty years ago, I served, just like you, as a combat soldier in the IDF," Banai begins his letter. "Attention to the needs of the civilian population is part of your mission…Your actions today will stay with you for years to come."
The pocket-guide also contains rules relating to practical aspects of the siege policy. The need for directives like "It is forbidden 'to punish' Palestinian civilians, or 'teach them a lesson' by unnecessarily delaying them at checkpoints," illustrates the difficult daily reality for Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. This reality is the inevitable result of a policy that is based on collective punishment and inherently harms civilians.
For over three years, B'Tselem has warned that the siege policy has eroded IDF norms and soldiers' conduct. Testimonies from soldiers and officers, as well as media reports strengthen this conclusion. Soldiers receive their orders orally and there is much ambiguity. Several high ranking military experts contend that the siege checkpoints do not provide security. What is clear is that they are sites of routine arbitrary punishment, humiliation, and abuse.
B'Tselem's Checkpoint Monitoring Team has 5,000 pocket-guides for distribution. This is the maximum number of soldiers staffing siege-checkpoints in the Occupied Territories at any given time.
B'Tselem
The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories
http://www.btselem.org
By clicking on the link below, you can send a call to free the five conscientious objectors to the Israeli embassies in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, as well as all the consulates in the United States and major Israeli officials. Let them know that you support the right of individuals to refuse to act in ways contrary to their conscience. Of all people, no Jew should ever support the idea of "just following orders".
Send a letter to the following decision maker(s):
Israeli Embassies/Consulates
Israeli Government Officials
Israeli Ministry of Interior
Below is the sample letter:
Subject: Free the 5 Conscientious Objectors!
Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],
I am deeply disturbed by the Israeli Military Court's decision to sentence five conscientious objectors to an additional year in prison. The five have already served a year or more in prison for their refusal to serve in an army of occupation.
Far better than the military, these brave young men are fighting for a better future, one which does not include an Israeli occupation of another people. They will not "just follow orders" and their right to refuse to be occupiers must be protected in any country that considers itself democratic.
I join many others in calling on Israel to immediately release these five heroes and to recognize the right of conscientious objection.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Take Action:
http://ga3.org/campaign/freethefive/eg68ss41jj3ndx
Mitchell Plitnick
Jewish Voice for Peace:
http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org
Please read the following Press Release and then continue.
PRESS RELEASE
Jewish-American Peace Group Calls For Release of Israeli Teenagers
Five Sentenced to Prison for Refusing to Serve in the Army
“Of all peoples, Jews should never just follow orders”
San Francisco, January 8, 2004 – Jewish Voice for Peace, the largest grassroots, Jewish peace group in the United States, called today for the immediate release of five young conscientious objectors who were sentenced to one year in prison on January 4. The five, Noam Bahat, Haggai Matar, Adam Maor, Shimri Tzameret and Matan Kaminer, were convicted for refusing to enter the Israeli army, as an act of co0nscientious objection to joining an army of occupation. All five have already served considerable jail time.
The refusal movement in Israel is a growing phenomenon. The Israeli peace group, Yesh G’Vul counts 1,224 members of the Israeli military and reserves who have refused to serve in the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This movement now includes members of Israel’s military elites, fighter pilots and the famous commando unit which launched the raid on Entebbe in 1976. Concern over the growth of this movement has prompted Israel to take stronger action against conscientious objectors.
“I take it as a compliment that they are so afraid of our ability to persuade others that they called us dangerous and have to lock us up,” said Haggai Matar, one of the imprisoned five. “To date the army's policy against the refuseniks was to put them in prison for three or four months. During the verdict and sentencing they said they were punishing us much more severely because we went public, because we affect other people.”
“These five brave young men are carrying on the best of the Jewish tradition,” said Mitchell Plitnick, co-Director of Jewish Voice for Peace. “Of all peoples in the world, Jews should never ‘just follow orders’. We more than anyone else know how hollow that excuse is. It is outrageous that Israel should be locking people up for refusing to be part of an occupation army. When you hear what happens during military operations, or every day at checkpoints in the Occupied Territories, you realize that it is not the right of every person, but indeed their duty to refuse to participate in these crimes.”
For more information about the refusal movement:
http://www.refusersolidarity.net
http://www.refuz.org.il/
http://www.yesh-gvul.org/english
Other articles on the Refuser Movement:
“It's because they fear us, say teenage refuseniks jailed by Israeli army”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1117573,00.html
13 Sayeret Matkal Reservists Join Refusal To Serve
http://www.rense.com/general46/serve.htm
Some Israeli Pilots Refuse Strikes
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/09/26/world/main575270.shtml
Jewish Voice for Peace is a grassroots peace organization dedicated to achieving a lasting peace that recognizes the aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians for security and self determination. We work to promote a US foreign policy based on peace, democracy, human rights and respect for international law. Contact us for background information on the silent majority of American Jews who support an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory. Mitchell@jewishvoiceforpeace.org.
Jewish Voice for Peace:
http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org
Please also see:
Five conscientious objectors begin one-year prison sentence
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/380612.html
B'Tselem hands out guidelines to soldiers at checkpoints
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/380637.html
B'Tselem Distributes Pocket-Guide for Soldiers
B'Tselem's Checkpoint Monitoring Team has begun distributing a pocket-guide to soldiers at the "siege checkpoints" - IDF checkpoints within the West Bank. The pocket-guide includes a personal appeal to soldiers from the popular musician Yuval Banai, as well as relevant IDF rules of conduct.
"Twenty years ago, I served, just like you, as a combat soldier in the IDF," Banai begins his letter. "Attention to the needs of the civilian population is part of your mission…Your actions today will stay with you for years to come."
The pocket-guide also contains rules relating to practical aspects of the siege policy. The need for directives like "It is forbidden 'to punish' Palestinian civilians, or 'teach them a lesson' by unnecessarily delaying them at checkpoints," illustrates the difficult daily reality for Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. This reality is the inevitable result of a policy that is based on collective punishment and inherently harms civilians.
For over three years, B'Tselem has warned that the siege policy has eroded IDF norms and soldiers' conduct. Testimonies from soldiers and officers, as well as media reports strengthen this conclusion. Soldiers receive their orders orally and there is much ambiguity. Several high ranking military experts contend that the siege checkpoints do not provide security. What is clear is that they are sites of routine arbitrary punishment, humiliation, and abuse.
B'Tselem's Checkpoint Monitoring Team has 5,000 pocket-guides for distribution. This is the maximum number of soldiers staffing siege-checkpoints in the Occupied Territories at any given time.
B'Tselem
The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories
http://www.btselem.org