[lbo-talk] Israeli conscientious objector organization,"Courage to Refuse", shuts down after 3 years

[Bryan]

> 
> Doug Henwood wrote:
>> The report says the media lost interest, but what's happening with
>> refusal itself? And what ideological crisis?
>> 
>> Doug

The leaders of Courage to Refuse think the media lost interest in
conscientious objection... While it is true that the leftwing refuseniks
have been getting less coverage, there are articles on the subject at
least once a week, and there was quite a large media hype around the 250
"Shministim" (High School students before the military) who signed
letters of refusal in March of this year
(http://www.shministim.org/indexenglish.html), and I talked recently to
someone who helped coordinate them, and he says there is another batch
going to come soon.

And this notice was just sent to me:

Come and Support those who Refuse the Occupation!

Help conscientious objection be heard within the orange noise!

On Monday, 10.8.05, Shaul Morgrabi-Berger will arrive at the army's
induction centre and announce his refusal to be drafted in an army of
occupation. He's expected to be sent immediately to prison, where he'd
join Wissam Kablan and Alex Kohn, who have already spent long periods of
imprisonment following their draft resistance.
Behind the smoke-screen of the disengagement plan, Israel continues its
brutal occupation and oppression of the Palestinian People. The
'orange-ribbon' right-wing protesters cynically abuse human rights
jargon and speak of their refusal to "drive Jews out of their homes" as
a conscientious objection. Within this incessant loud noise, the voice
of those brave draft resisters who refuse for the right reasons is
hardly heard.

Please help Shaul, Wissam and Alex's voices be heard!! Come and join us
in a massive support of those who refuse the occupation!!

Our vigil will take place at the gates of the induction centre at Tel
Hashomer on Wednesday, 10.8.05, 08:00.
--------

There has always been up and downs in the numbers...but it is true that
the left refuseniks have been overshadowed by the media hype lately on
the anti Gaza disengagement right wing refuseniks...as this is a very
new phenomenon, and I THINK (don't know the inside story) that this is
where the question of the ideological crisis come in.  Among the
centrist Zionist left in Israel, it is a confusing time.

If you are for the disengagement, then you are for the miltary going
into the Gaza settlements and removing the settlers, yet many right wing
soldiers are refusing. If you continue to promote conscientious
objection, are you helping to justify the right's refusal also? Courage
to Refuse, (if you look at their site you can see this plainly), are
very proud of the military and their position as officers. They
constantly repeat that they are refusing FOR Zionism. FOR the security
of Israel.


I think this article from today's Ha'aretz gives some context to this
phenomenon among the centrist Zionist 'left':

Left-wing movements to raise funds for soldier care packages
By Lily Galili, Haaretz Correspondent

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/607348.html

Several left-wing movements have joined forced in an initiative to raise
funds in order to distribute care packages to Israel Defense Forces
soldiers and police officers who will take part in the disengagement.

Peace Now, the Labor Party, Yahad and the Kibbutz Movement have united
to form an umbrella organization called Mateh Harov [The Majority
Headquarters]. They recently launched a website to collect donations for
the initiative.

Each package will cost approximately 40 NIS apiece, and will include
sweets and drinks the soldiers and officers might need while on duty.
[...]
"We are in a little bit of a bind. On the one hand we are worried about
bringing politics into the army by distributing packages on behalf of a
political body like ours. On the other hand we want to send a message
that they are fulfilling the desires of the majority of the public which
stands behind them," Oppenheimer said.

In addition to care packages, Peace Now will be distributing in the next
few days 10,000 blue bracelets adorned with the phrase, "Yes to the
Disengagement." They are also considering handing out blue heart
stickers in pronouncement of their solidarity with the settlers during
the evacuation.

[...]

-------------------------------


Interestingly, I think that the rightwing refuseniks do us a favor in
the long term. They have legitimized (well, at least added to its
normalization and acceptance) concientious objection in Israeli society.
I read a poll in Yideot Ahronot (can't find it now) that said two
things...one bad and one good. A majority of Jewish teens in Israel are
1. against the disengagement and 2. for the soldiers objecting to the
disengagement.

Much of this is do to the amazingly successful "Orange ribbon" campaign
of the anti-disengagement activists...I have had to keep all my clothes
with orange on them in the closet these past months...

Yet, this is an unprecedented number of pre-miltary age teens, I think,
 who see conscientious objection as a legitimate democratic choice in
some cases.  I understand that this doesn't mean that they would find
anti-occupation military refusal acceptable, but there is no way to
these ideas separate on a societal level, there is always shifting and
slippage of meanings. In fact, I believe that the anti-occupation
refusal campaign wouldn't have occured to the level it has if it weren't
for the history of conscientious objection in Israel. Their acts now
will just increase its normalization within society.


> 
> Bryan wrote:
> 
>> The most centrist of the Israeli consientious objector organizations,
>> and one which only counts officers, called "Courage To Refuse",
>> apparently closed down their offices.
>> (http://www.seruv.org.il/english/default.asp)
>>
>> But, don't worry, the long established Israeli conscientious
>> organizations such as Yesh Gvul (http://www.yeshgvul.org.il/english/)
>> and New Profile  (http://www.newprofile.org/default.asp?language=en) are
>> still around and will continue to exist (and hopefully grow over the
>> long term.)
>>
>> Bryan
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Left-wing refusenik movement shuts down after 3 years
>>
>> http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/606885.html
>>