Dear friends of Israel's military refusers:
Ometz Le'sarev ("Courage to Refuse") asked our campaign to pass on information about the recent imprisonment of David Zonsheine, one of the initiators of the Ometz group. David is requesting a full military trial (taking the risk of a three year imprisonment) in order to make the Israeli public more aware of the occupation and its impact. They have asked for our support. Specifically, we are asked to organize vigils at Israeli consulates on Monday (sorry about the short notice!). If that is not possible, you could call the nearest consulate and tell them you support David and the other refusers and call on Israel to grant his request for a full military trial.
Beyond this week, we urge you to consider joining or starting an adoption group that can provide material, moral and political support to David and other imprisoned refusers. See the bottom of this note for more information about adoption groups.
Finally, you will receive very soon an update from the campaign on our May tours of three refusers and other news.
Warm regards, Steven Feuerstein
DAVID ZONSHEINE IMPRISONED AND REQUESTS FULL MILITARY TRIAL (statement from Ometz Lesarev)
One of the two initiators of the "Ometz Lesarev" petition, Second Lieutenant David Zonsheine, was sentenced to 35 days in military prison this Tuesday after refusing to serve a 23-day tour of duty in the Occupied Territories. This was the first time that Zonsheine had been called up since launching the petition in January this year.
Zonsheine offered to fulfill his reserve duty by serving within the Green Line, and further volunteered to supplement his 23-day call up with another three weeks of voluntary service. This request, however, was summarily rejected. Zonsheine then requested to be tried in a military court and not to be court-martialed by his commanding officers. This request too was rejected.
On Wednesday morning, the group's attorney Michael Sfard is set to submit a petition to the Israeli High Court of Justice (Supreme Court) in order to compel the IDF to honor Zonsheine's request. To date, 70 of the letter's signatories, along with several score objectors affiliated to Yesh Gvul, and unaffiliated reserve soldiers, have served prison sentences of varying lengths as a consequence of their refusal to support the occupation effort. None have received a court hearing, though 4 "Ometz Lesarev" signatories explicitly requested a hearing in a full military court.
Implications of Zonsheine's petition:
The reason why Zonsheine has demanded a full military trail and not a court marital at the unit level is that he strongly believes that the issue is not a simple one of "military discipline." The issue is rather one of principle and conscience, as the reason for refusal is his opposition to the occupation. A simple military disciplinary hearing by Zonsheine's officers in essence implies that the issue is the same as, falling asleep on guard duty, or reporting late for service (for example). In denying Zonsheine such a trial the IDF therefore relegates the issue to a matter of discipline. This is not, however, the case. Zonsheine is patriot and a dedicated officer in an elite unit. Clearly discipline is not the issue at stake. The issue is rather Israel's immoral and illegal occupation of the occupied territories and the IDF's role in that occupation. This too is the reason that the IDF refuses to grant objectors a full military trial, as the occupation and the IDF's role in maintaining it would be put on trial. The denial of Zonsheine's request represents a denial by the IDF of his basic rights to submit evidence, to be represented by proper legal council and to raise complicated legal and constitutional issues pertinent to his refusal.
It is worth adding that in demanding a military trial Zonsheine runs the risk of more severe punishment, up to two years in jail. This is a landmark petition as it represents the first time that a refusenik is petitioning against the denial of his request to receive a full military trial.
Commenting on his decision, Zonsheine noted that the "principle reason why I demand a court hearing is the same principle that informs the 'Ometz Lesarev' declaration and my refusal to serve in the occupied territories. The Israeli public must be made aware of what is being done in its name in the territories. For this reason those who refuse to serve in the occupied territories must not be sentenced away from the public eye, behind closed doors."
Israeli High Court of Justice to hear David Zonsheine's appeal on Monday, 17 June.
This coming Monday, 17 June the Israeli High Court of Justice will consider a submission by David Zonsheine, requesting that the Court compels the IDF to grant David a full military trail in order to judge his refusal to serve in the occupied territories. David's initial request for a trail, and a not a simple court martial, was rejected. As a result of the court marital he received a 35-day sentence for refusing to serve for three weeks in the occupied West Bank. David's submission claims, amongst other things, that a court martial administered by field officers is not the appropriate forum to assess the moral and legal reasons that underpin his refusal. The IDF, needless to say, is loath to grant him such a trail, as it would amount to a trial of the occupation.
In petitioning the Supreme Court, David runs a personal risk, and could be sentenced for a jail term of up to 36 months instead. Explaining his decision, David noted that the "principle reason why I demand a court hearing is the same principle that informs the 'Omets Lesarev' declaration and my refusal to serve in the occupied territories. The Israeli public must be made aware of what is being done in its name in the territories. For this reason those who refuse to serve in the occupied territories must not be sentenced away from the public eye, behind closed doors."
We (Omets Lesarev) call on the supporters of the objector movement abroad to help by staging a vigil outside the nearest Israeli Embassy or Consulate in support of David's demand for a full military trail.
For more information please contact:
Amit Mashiach Attorney Michael Sfard Gary Sussman 054-578822 054-713930 03-6412163
ADOPTION GROUPS
In their recent tour of California and the Midwest, Ram Rahat-Goodman and Ishai Sagi asked over and over again at their speaking engagements for people to commit to forming Yesh Gvul Adoption Groups. One of the best ways to support individual jailed refusers is to have them adopted by support groups outside of Israel. Whenever a refuser is jailed, one of the support groups is alerted, sparking a broad range of activities: letters and phone calls go out to the refuser's family, and to the jail; the adoption group can exert political pressure with protests to the nearest Israeli diplomatic mission, send letters to the Israeli Minister of Defense and do a range of other actions.
Can you organize an Adoption Group? Start with 5 friends; or a student organization, or members of a community or religious group. Immediately notify Ram Rahat at peretz at yesh-gvul.org. Let him know who the point person (or coordinator) of the group will be. Yesh Gvul will send you a complete kit in order to get the adoption process started. Also notify us at info at couragetorefuse.org that you are planning to do this. Soon we will post a list of adoption groups on our web site.
<http://www.couragetorefuse.org/>
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/courage_to_refuse_update2/>
-- Yoshie
* Calendar of Events in Columbus: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/calendar.html> * Anti-War Activist Resources: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/activist.html> * Student International Forum: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/> * Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osu.edu/students/CJP/>