This is the reply about estimations of the total number of CO's I got from New Profile (the main Israeli Conscientious objector organization). I am now in the process of contacting Yesh Gvul (which is more an organization for Israeli's who are not necessarily pacifists but want to refuse to serve for political or moral reasons tied to the occupation of Palestine)
Below is the letter of reply from New Profile and then my original question to them: ------------------------------------------------------- Hi,
Well, it's really difficult to even estimate. The information is often unavailable altogether, and still more often dispersed all over the place.
I would very cautiously estimate the number of declared COs of the kinds I have been engaged with more or less directly since September to have gone over the 100 mark by now. You should ask people at Yesh Gvul for their estimates regarding reservists refusing to serve in the territories. There the number would be larger, I guess, but I'm too poorly informed in this area to say. You should then add the two numbers up.
Now, well over 10,000 people avoid military service of their own initiative every year. These can be located on a sort of sequence between declared conscientious objectors on one extreme and people seeking personal benefits on the other (and this schematisation is already very incorrect and distorting). The point is that there is no clear border to separate people with conscientious motivation from people without such motivation. Any estimate I could give is not only wild. It is also trying to estimate a poorly defined category.
Anyway, I would say the number of COs not including Yesh-Gvul people has nearly tripled compared to previous years (not necessarily due to any direct calls). Among reservist territories objectors, the outburst of conflict (the early phases of the Lebanon War, the first Intifada and now the second one) are always increasing amounts of objectors quite dramatically.
All the best, XXXXXXXXX
-----Original Message----- From: bryan at indymedia.org.il [mailto:bryan at indymedia.org.il] Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2001 1:22 PM To:XXXXXXXXXXXX Subject: Total numbers of CO's
Dear XXXXXXX,
This is Bryan Atinsky from Indymedia Israel. I wanted to get information about the total number of actual CO's since Sept, 2000 plus an estimate of numbers of people who have found one excuse or another not to serve, but have done it, at least partially for moral reasons. I know that these numbers are merely estimates and difficult to discern, but it would be a big help in trying to get a grip on the real amount of dissent in the Israeli society, plus a gauge on how much the whole call for more Isreali's to become CO's is working.
Thank you,
Bryan Atinsky IMC-Israel Engish Editorial Coordinator http://www.indymedia.org.il
------- End of forwarded message ------- Bryan Atinsky IMC-Israel Engish Editorial Coordinator http://www.indymedia.org.il