SUPPORT THE RIGHTS OF THE 'REFUSENIKS' IN ISRAEL

national | miscellaneous | news report Saturday June 22, 2002 10:46 by Mario

Solidarity with two young Israelis who are refusing to serve in the Occupied Territories.

Release the imprisoned youth!

We recently received an appeal (via the comrades of the Challenge magazine in Israel) for solidarity with two young Israelis who are refusing to serve in the Occupied Territories. We defend the right of these youth not to be forced to carry out acts of oppression against the Palestinian people. In an earlier article, Israel - Opposition grows, we highlighted this movement of the "refuseniks". There is opposition among a layer of Israeli youth to what the Sharon government is doing to the Palestinian people. Eventually the workers and youth of Israel will realise that Sharon is leading them up a blind alley. The interests of the Jewish working class in Israel can only be guaranteed through a struggle of all workers against capitalism and imperialism throughout the Middle East. The courageous stand being taken by these youth in Israel is an indication of the opposition that will develop at some stage in the future. We urge our readers to demonstrate their solidarity and support this appeal.

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The Support Forum for Conscientious Objectors

matzpoon@yahoo.com 051-596492

Yigal Rosenberg and Yair Hilu, signers of an open letter by high school seniors refusing to do military service in the Occupied Territories, are back in prison. Yigal Rosenberg has been sentenced to a fifth term! Yair Hilu has been sentenced to a fourth!

Dear friends,

Yigal Rosenberg and Yair Hilu, members of The Forum in Support of Conscientious Objectors, have consistently refused to serve in Israel's army. They reported on Monday, May 13, to the 'incompatibility committee.' It sentenced them to new prison terms of 14 days. They express their concern for the fate of the Palestinians. Such a stand is new and important, reflecting true internationalism.

The army is apparently trying to break their spirit. These 18-year-olds suffer from two kinds of imprisonment, for the silence of the media is also a prison. Please help us to break it!

Yigal and Yair are among 120 other young refusers who demand an end to the use of a double standard for Jews and Arabs. Their stand does not threaten Israeli society. Quite to the contrary, they give this society a chance to confront its failures.

What can you do? Encourage the prisoners with letters! Their addresses in prison are as follows:

Yigal Rosenberg, Personal Military ID 7303585 Military prison No. 4 Military postal code 02507 IDF, Israel
Yair Hilu Personal Military ID 724070 Military prison No. 4 Military postal code 02507 IDF, Israel

The Army usually moves the refusers to Prison # 6. It also holds the mail, in many cases. If you want to be sure that the prisoners receive your letter, you may send a closed envelope also to The Forum in Support of Conscientious Objectors, POB 41199, Jaffa 61411, Israel, and we will take care to pass it on to them.

We also urge you to send letters of protest to:

Mr. Binyamin Ben Eliezer, Minister of Defense
Ministry of Defense, 37 Kaplan St.
Tel Aviv 61909
Israel

E-mail: sar@mod.gov.il
Fax: 972-3-696-27-57