21 Israeli objectors in prison

by: New Profile

Israel: Since our last report a week ago, two objectors were released from prison, and an unprecedented 14 imprisoned. All in all, we now know of 21! declared objectors who are in prison at the moment.

The great majority of the prisoners are reservists refusing specifically to serve in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (this following an emergency mobilisation of 20,000 reservists declared by the Israeli government last week). Three of the objectors currently held in prison refuse to serve in the Israeli army at all, two of them are draft resisters. One of the draft resisters, Yair Khilou, has just been imprisoned for the third time in a row.

Below is a concise report on imprisoned and released objectors for this week, based mostly on information communicated by our friends from Yesh-Gvul. The following section contains the prison addresses and contact details of all the objectors who are incarcerated at the moment (with the exception of a few who wished to remain anonymous). The update ends with a Recommended Action section.

But first, an explanatory note that I think is necessary these days. Many people wonder whether in these times of emergency, when people are being killed by the hundreds, it is really that much of a priority to work on a bunch of objectors sitting in the relatively comfortable conditions of military prison. Indeed, although the imprisoned objectors could definitely use all your support, their lives are not in danger and their human rights are violated relatively mildly.

Still, I would like to argue, acting in support of imprisoned objectors, especially now, when their number is on the rise, is one of the most effective ways of opposing the atrocities going on as I write. The more it becomes known to the Israeli military and political system that objection is supported by the Israeli and international public, the more shaky will become their confidence in the backing they think they receive from the Israeli public to do what they do.

Objection to military service, as I could often observe myself, is something deeply disconcerting for the average Israeli combatant soldier sent by his leaders to perform war crimes in Palestine. It forces down these soldiers' main moral defence, the thought that "we are doing this for the folks back home". When they find out that the public, especially the Israeli public, is not backing them in what they do, this eventually forces them to face the moral consequences of what they have done. Thus the open and public support of objectors is now more effective and more important than ever.

IMPRISONED AND RELEASED OBJECTORS
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18-year-old political objector YAIR KHILOU, one of the initiators, formulators and signatories of the "Letter of the 12th-graders", published last September (the text of the letter can be seen at http://www.newprofile.org/english/letters), was sent to prison for the third time in a row this Monday (1 April) He was sentenced once more to 28 days of imprisonment, and is held in Military Prison No 4.

ITAI RIV (26) of Jerusalem has been sentenced to 28 days detention, after refusing to join his unit. He refuses to serve in the Israeli army at all on political grounds. Itai Riv has a dual Israeli and Italian citizenship. This gives groups and activists in Italy an opportunity to take special action on his behalf.

The following 12 objectors (all are reservists refusing to perform military service specifically in the Occupied Territories) were given prison terms between last Wednesday and yesterday (in reverse chronological order):
Eran Ackerman - 28 days
Guy Keshet - 28 days
O. T. (wished to remain anonymous) - 28 days
B. L. (wished to remain anonymous) - 28 days
Timor Israeli - 28 days
Oded L. (wished to remain anonymous) - 35 days
Amos Baer - 28 days
Ofer Shafrir - 28 days
Gil Bronstein - 28 days
A. C. (wished to remain anonymous) - 28 days
Danny Breutman - 14 days
Noam Shezaf - 14 days

Six of these objectors are signatories to the "Courage to Refuse" declaration (http://www.seruv.org.il). They are: Guy Keshet, Timor Israeli, Ofer Shafrir, Gil Bronstein, Danny Breutman and Noam Shezaf.

From those imprisoned to those released. After spending several months in prison, objector RENNAN AMIN SALAMEH was finally released from prison yesterday (2 April) He has also been exempted from military service, which means no further threat of imprisonment is likely in his case. Thank you very much all those who took action on his behalf.

ITAI HAVIV, one of the signatories of the Courage to Refuse letter, was also released from prison this week, after completing his 14-day prison term. Further imprisonment in his case is unlikely at least until he is called up to perform reserves duty again next year.

Another released prisoner is AMNON SAGIV. He was released from prison prematurely about two weeks ago, but I received this information already after I sent out my previous update. Further imprisonment in his case is unlikely at least until he is called up to perform reserves duty again next year.

PRISON ADDRESSES AND OTHER CONTACT DETAILS
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Below are the prison addresses for all the objectors imprisoned at the moment (with the exception of the four who asked not to have their names revealed). For reasons of convenience I repeat also the addresses of seven prisoners we already reported on, but who are still in prison. The newly reported cases come first.

YAIR KHILOU
Personal Military ID 7274070
Military prison No 4
Military postal code 02507, IDF
Israel

GUY KESHET
Personal Military ID 5089936
Military prison No 4
Military postal code 02507, IDF
Israel
ERAN ACKERMAN
Personal Military ID 5111605
Military prison No 4
Military postal code 02507, IDF
Israel

AMOS BAER
Reservists Company,
Military prison No 4
Military postal code 02507, IDF
Israel

OFER SHAFRIR
Reservists Company,
Military prison No 4
Military postal code 02507, IDF
Israel

GIL BRONSTEIN
Reservists Company,
Military prison No 4
Military postal code 02507, IDF
Israel

Lieut. ITAI RIV
Reservists Company,
Prison No 6,
Military Postal code 03734, IDF
Israel
Itai Riv can be reached at itair@fh.huji.ac.il

Lieut. TIMOR ISRAELI
Reservists Company,
Prison No 6,
Military Postal code 03734, IDF
Israel

Lieut. NOAM SHEZAF
Reservists Company,
Prison No 6,
Military Postal code 03734, IDF
Israel

DANNY BREUTMAN
Reservists Company,
Prison No 6,
Military Postal code 03734, IDF
Israel

The following prison addresses belong to objectors whose cases were already announced over the last two weeks:

ILAN WINDHOLZ
Military personal number 7265473
Military Prison 4
Military Postal code 02507, IDF
Israel

DAVID PERLMAN
Military personal number 5188146
Military Prison 4
Military Postal code 02507, IDF
Israel

PIKI BEN-SHALOM
Military personal number 4609194
Military Prison 6
Military Postal Number 03734, IDF
Israel

SHACHAR TZUR
Military personal number 5067698,

Prison No 6,
Military Postal code 03734, IDF
Israel

ISHAI MOR
Military personal number 4368517
Military Prison 6
Military Postal Number 03734, IDF
Israel

SERGIO YAHNI
Military personal number 4366865
Military Prison 6
Military Postal Number 03734, IDF
Israel
Messages can also be sent to mailto:rtic@alt-info.org or AIC, POB 31417, Jerusalem.

ELAD LAHAV
Military personal number 5174876
Prison 4
Military Postal code 02507, IDF
Israel
Calls can be made to his wife Shelly at ++972-58-349690

RECOMMENDED ACTION
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Fisrt of all, please circulate this message and the information contained in it as widely as possible, not only through email, but also on websites, conventional media, by word of mouth, etc.

Please send the prisoners your messages of support to the addresses above. Also, please send letters of protest on behalf of the objectors to:
Mr. Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, Minister of Defence, Ministry of Defence, 37 Kaplan Street, Tel-Aviv 61909, Israel (fax +972 3 696 2757/691 6940/691 7915; email sar@mod.gov.il orpniot@mod.gov.il).

Copies can be sent to the commanders of the prisons at: Commander of Military Prison No 6, Military Prison No 6, Military postal number 03734, IDF, Israel (fax +972 3 869 2884).

Commander of Military Prison No 4, Military Prison No 4, Military postal number 02507, IDF, Israel (fax +972 3 957 5276).

Another useful address for sending copies would be the Military Attorney General:
Brig Gen Menachem Finklestein, Chief Military Attorney, Miltary postal code 9605, IDF, Israel (fax +972 3 569 4370).

In the cases of Yair Khilou and Ilan Windholz (especially in Yair's case, since this is his third prison term), it would be especially useful to send copies of your appeals to:
Deborah Chassid, Commander of Induction Base, Tel-Hashomer, Military Postal Code 02718, IDF, Israel (fax +972 3 737 6052).

Addresses of additional military and government officials, as well as those of some Israeli media, to which you can send copies of your appeals, can be found at this web address:
http://www.newprofile.org/english/Summery_CO_01.html (see the bottom of this message).

Note that writing to media is now more important than ever.
A standard sample letter is available at the bottom of the same web page (http://www.newprofile.org/english/Summery_CO_01.html#sample). However note that it would be advisable to adjust your letter to the particular circumstances of the case.

But of course, many other things can be done apart from letter-writing. Any form of public support for objectors and public denouncing of war crimes is welcome, be it in the form of holding vigils, painting graffiti on walls or whatever.

For those among you who got this message forwarded or read it on a website - you can receive updates and information about imprisoned objectors directly by subscribing to a mailing list especially dedicated to this subject. To subscribe, send a blank message to: mailto:NewProfileCO-subscribe@topica.com.

CO-alerts (published by War Resisters' International) can also be read from the Peace News website (link on all sidebars). Alternatively you can subscribe to their CO-Alerts list and receive regular information about COs and deserters around the world. Visit http://www.wri-irg.org for more information.

Source: New Profile