Israeli Conscientious Objector Update
By
The Refuser Parents Forum*
Two more conscientious objectors or "occupation refusers", entered military jail on August 10, 2005. Shaul Mograbi-Berger was sentenced for a first term of 21 days. Alex Cohn received the same sentence, but in his case it was a sixth term in jail.
They were accompanied by about 150 people on their way to the National Induction Base. Scores of friends staged a parody of the military oath of allegiance ceremony, where, among other things, they declared: "I hereby swear and promise to keep faith with Israel's occupation of the territories." They concluded by burning official conscription forms.
Conscientious Objector Profiles:
Alex Cohn is one of the initiators of the most recent seniors' (shministim) letter to the Minister of Defense. This letter was signed by 350 young people who were approaching mandatory enlistment in the Israeli military. In the letter, the shministim announced that they would not serve in the Israeli army so long as that army serves the occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza.
In his own, personal refusal letter to Shaul Mofaz, the Israeli Minister of Defense, Alex wrote:
It is impossible to serve in the occupation army without taking part in the injustices it causes. There is a myth according to which it is possible to exercise influence from within, to be "enlightened occupiers" and to significantly alleviate the sufferings of the Palestinian population. But as time passes and the testimonies accumulate, this myth crumbles. (….)
The occupation is not right. It is the result of policy and not imposed by circumstances. The means employed in its framework are also not right. The extent and power of its ramifications for the Palestinians and for the Israelis cannot be grasped. It is therefore unacceptable by any moral standard. Because one cannot serve in the army without taking part in the occupation, I cannot, in good conscience, enlist. In recent years I have been an activist for a more just society generally, and for the end of the occupation in particular. I cannot set aside my vision and enlist in a system that I have come out against. Just as I adhere to natural nutrition in order to avoid taking part in financing the exploitation of animals that I stand against, similarly I cannot take part in the policy of occupation and ghettoization. I cannot shoot and cry, talk about morality and stand at a checkpoint, oppose oppression and drive a bulldozer.
Wissam Qablan first refused to enlist at the end of 2003 and did not present himself at the National Induction Base on his assigned date. This year he decided to appear before the authorities and be jailed due to refusal to enlist. Soheil, Wissam's father, says that Wissam refuses to serve in the Israeli army because he regards it "as a tool used by the government to conduct a policy that destroys both our people – he refuses to participate in carrying out such a policy." Wissam's older brother, Marwan, also refused to serve in the Israeli army and was released from mandatory service a few months ago after spending approximately 70 days in jail.
On 10 May, 2005, Wissam was sentenced to 21 days in solitary confinement, which he spent in military prison #4. He was released on 27 May. This was the second time he spent an entire term in solitary confinement. Subsequently he was sentenced to two more rounds in prison: once for 7 days, and again (on June 5, 2005), for 21 days of solitary confinement.
Orwa Zidan was given a second 21 day sentence in prison #4 for refusing to enlist in the occupation army on August 24, 2005. His brother Mahmoud also spent time in jail for refusing to enlist on grounds of conscientious objection and was released after five months. Orwa's father, Dr Jemal Zidan, too, was a conscientious objector in 1974. Julia, his mother, is an activist with the Druze Refusers Movement.
Shaul Mograbi-Berger is an activist in the non-violent movement against the separation wall and in the shministim.
In his letter to the Minister of Defense, dated January 2005, he wrote:
For as long as this army is an occupying power, it won’t have room for me. (…)
Non-resistance to the occupation, and even more so to military service, is tantamount to approving of the occupation (…) In making my refusal, I do not follow positive law, according to which it is my duty to enlist for military service, but I am faithful to substantive law. The latter, as I learned during civics classes, is, as its name suggests: the foundation and essence of democracy (…) My refusal has a very personal origin too. (…) Can I really be made to carry responsibility (to whatever extent) for the life and death of people when I do not have any faith in what I am doing? (…) Almost all of the Palestinians I have met have had horrific experiences with the Israeli army or authorities: a relative who died; a house demolished; a bullet fired by a settler or soldier and lodged in their bodies; months or even years in Israeli prison, sometimes under "administrative detention" – and endlessly many other things.
When I see all this suffering, most of which has been caused by the army or under its auspices, it's clear to me that there's no chance a solution will be found in this way. These people's pain will only yield hatred. It's obvious that this will not bring about a solution.
Due to my opposition to the suffering I have encountered I find I have no other option than to refuse to join the army and to contribute to the creation of more suffering.
Please send letters of support to the jailed occupation refusers:
Alex Cohn, military ID 6866693, military mail 05507, IDF
Wissam Qablan, military ID 34640953, military mail 01860, IDF
Orwa Zidan, military ID 7703714, military mail 05507, IDF
Shaul Mograbi-Berger, military ID 7683912, military mail 05507, IDF
*
The Refuseniks Parents' Forum was formed in 2002 by the parents of the five Israeli conscietious objector's who were sentenced to one year imprisonment by military court. Since its founding, many other parents of conscietious objectors have joined the Forum.
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