FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 2004
Five Israelis refusing to serve in army sent to jail
AP
KARMEL PRISON, Israel: Five youths went off to face cold winter nights in military prison tents, the price for taking a stand that appeals to a small but growing number of Israelis - army service in the West Bank and Gaza Strip is wrong.
The five began one-year prison terms on Wednesday after courts refused to recognise them as conscientious objectors. They said they could not serve in the army because of the military's abuse of Palestinians.
"I know already what prison is like," said one of the five, 20-year-old Noam Bahat, frowning slightly. "I'm mostly afraid of wasting time, not being able to study and to struggle to stop the occupation."
During three years of bloody violence that has seen the Israeli military retake control of most of the Palestinian areas, set up dozens of roadblocks, carry out hundreds of raids and kill more than 2,500 Palestinians, only six young Israeli men have refused outright to join the army, citing the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza as the reason.
However, uncounted others have evaded army service for other reasons - some of them clearly fictitious - with the Palestinian conflict lurking prominently in the background.
Also, several hundred reservists have gone to prison for refusing to serve in the Palestinian areas, though they have stated that service inside Israel or on its borders would be acceptable to them. Uncounted others have worked out quiet arrangements with their commanders to be posted inside Israel .
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