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04-Apr-2002

Hundreds of Israelis hold "Thousand Refusenik Seder"

by: Peretz Kidron/Yesh Gvul

Israel: Defying unseasonable rain, hundreds of Israeli peace supporters, reinforced by a strong delegation of internationals, clambered a hill overlooking Military Prison 6 at Athlit, to hold a Freedom Seder in honour of the jailed refuseniks (there were 18 when we started, up to 21 when the ceremony ended !) Above all, we were there to celebrate the fact that there are now OVER A THOUSAND REFUSENIKS ! Some 500 have already refused to take part in the campaign of repression (about 65 jailed to date) and many hundreds more have signed one of three parallel declarations of refusal, whereby they are committed to refusing if and when posted to the occupied territories.

Prominent at the THOUSAND REFUSENIK SEDER were all sections of the "refusal community" - in addition to Yesh Gvul, there were members of "Courage to Refuse", the high school students and New Profile. We look forward to further joint efforts on behalf of refuseniks of every hue.

The Seder, conducted by Rabbi Jeremy Milgrom, was held with all the trappings, but with the necessary modifications, as the traditional four glasses were raised to honour the refuseniks, children asked the "Ma Nishtana", and other Haggada texts were re-worked to suit the occasion. Yitzchak Laor - of the very first generation of seventies' refuseniks - read one of his poems, and families and friends of the jailed refuseniks "broadcast" messages of support over loudspeakers directed at the prison.

Yesh Gvul was strongly represented at today's women's peace coalition march to the A-Ram checkpost. We were welcomed with a thick cloud of tear gas from police/Border Guards, who responded to the attempt to bring food and medicines to the beleagured people of Ramallah as though this represented an existential threat to national security. (Details on the horrifying reign of terror imposed by the army within the city can be found in e-mails from there.)

BUT THE MAIN FOCUS OF OUR WORK REMAINS ON THE REFUSENIKS! To end the horrors, we must remember: there is no occupation without an army of occupation, and there is no army without soldiers ! Please help us in our educational work, to convince soldiers they are responsible for actions constituting WAR CRIMES. Above all, we must support the refusal movement.

We are trying to keep up with the wave of jailings of refuseniks, and we'll issue information as it comes in. Here are some sketchy details about the latest three, each sentenced to 28 days at Military Prison 4:

First Sgt. (res.) Guy Keshet (a signatory of the Courage to Refuse declaration) ID 5089936;
First Sgt. (res.) Eran Ackerman (27 and married), ID 5111605
Sgt. (res.) O.T. asked to have his full name withheld.

Letters of support can be sent to them at:
Military Prison 4, Military post 02507, IDF, Israel

Let us stress again that some of those jailed will be in need of help in supporting their families while they're serving their sentences, and this adds a further burder on our already over-strained resources. Therefore we REPEAT OUR URGENT REQUEST FOR DONATIONS TO KEEP UP THE CAMPAIGN!

Checks can be sent to: Yesh Gvul, PO Box 6953, Jerusalem 91068, Israel
Bank transfers to: Yesh Gvul, Acct. no. 366614, Bank Hapoalim, King George St. branch (690), Jerusalem, Israel.

Source: Yesh Gvul