Support Israeli conscientious objectors

by Shani Werner, Rela Mazali English: Tal Haran

Israel is the only country in the world that practices conscription for women. It is thus also the only country in the world where women’s draft resistance exists. The movement of women draft resisters in Israel is constantly on the rise, but no data are available as to its exact extent. The army refrains from making such data known to the public.

This report focuses on the situation of conscientious objectors in Israel, especially in the last two years. The issue of conscientious objection is complex, with a variety of regulations for specific groups. However, it is generally characterised by the violation of the human right to conscientious objection.

On 21 September - the International Day of Peace, as declared by the United Nations General Assembly [1] - War Resisters' International and New Profile submit the case of conscientious objector Victor Sabranski, who was arrested five times for his refusal to enlist in the Israeli Defence Forces, to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.

In doing so, War Resisters' International and New Profile want to highlight that Israel still doesn't recognise the right to conscientious objection (for men), although it is widely accepted as a human righ

Support to Israeli conscientious objectors is needed

The Executive Committee of War Resisters' International, the 81-year-old international network of pacifist organisations with 90 affiliates in 45 countries, expressed its grave concern about the situation of conscientious objectors to military service in Israel during its Executive meeting in London this weekend. In light of the increased punishment of Israeli conscientious objectors, the Executive Committee calls on the Israeli government to recognise the human right to conscientious objection.

CO activist Sergeiy Sandler reports on the rising tide of objection to military service in Israel during the second intifada.

Thirty-two people is a small number. A demonstration with thirty-two participants would hardly be worthy of the word. But since October 2000, thirty-two people were imprisoned or otherwise penalised in Israel for refusing to perform military duty on conscientious and political grounds.

Shalom,

My name is Yair Halper and I am a conscientious objector to military service. On Wednesday the 17 October 2001, I will be incarcerated for my beliefs.

I consider myself a pacifist, and I am using that word only for the lack of a better one. I am only 18, still a child (at least in my eyes). I keep asking myself what the hell do I know about pacifism? My beliefs were never really tested.

Lotahn wrote from prison,
"Ideas and morals cannot be locked in a prison. Aspirations for justice cannot be silenced or put behind bars. I was put in jail for fighting for justice, but imprisoning me cannot imprison the universal fight for a world where immoralities are not regarded as painful but necessary realities, where men are not sent off to kill or be killed in wasteful wars forced upon them, a world where greed does not control human existence nor detract us from what is right.