Sign A Petition In Support of The Occupation Refusers and
To Demand Their Immediate Release
Alex Cohn, Wissam Qablan, Orwa Zidan and Shaul
Mograbi-Berger are currently in military prison for their
refusal, on grounds of conscientious objection, to serve
the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.
Alex Cohn (19) is currently serving a seventh term in
prison, and has spent a total of 124 days in military jail.
Alex is one of the initiators of the 2005 Shministim (high
school seniors) letter, which was signed by about 350 young
people. In this letter they state that they do not intend
to serve in the Israeli army so long as it serves the
Occupation. In his letter to the Minister of Defense, Alex
writes among other things: "It is impossible to serve in
the occupation army without taking part in the injustices
it causes. The occupation is the result of a policy and not
imposed by circumstances. The extent and power of its
ramifications for the Israelis and Palestinians cannot be
grasped. It is therefore unacceptable by any moral
standard. Because one cannot serve in the army without
taking part in the occupation, I cannot, in good
conscience, enlist."
Wissam Qablan (20) has spent 100 days in prison. He first
refused to enlist already in late 2003 and did not appear
at the National Induction Base on the appointed day. This
year he decided to present himself and he was subsequently
jailed several times over on the grounds of his refusal.
Wissam says that he refuses to serve in the army because he
regards it as a tool used by the government to conduct a
policy that destroys both peoples. He will not become part
of such an organization.
Orwa Zidan (19) is now spending his second 21-day term in
military jail. His brother, before him, was imprisoned too
after he refused to serve on conscientious grounds. He was
released after five months. Orwa's father, as well, was a
CO in 1974, and his mother is active in the Druze refusal
movement.
Shaul Mograbi-Berger (19), like Orwa, is currently in jail
for a second term of 21 days. Shaul is an activist in the
non-violent movement against the separation wall and with
the Shministim. In his letter, dated January 2005, to the
minister of defense, he wrote, among other things: "For as
long as this army is an occupying power, it won't have room
for me. () Non-resistance to the occupation, and even more
so to military service, is tantamount to approving of the
occupation. () In making my refusal, I do not follow
positive law, according to which it is my duty to enlist
for military service, but I am faithful to substantive law.
The latter, as I learned during civics classes, is, as its
name suggests: the foundation and essence of democracy."
The Forum of Parents of Conscientious Objectors (the
Parents Forum) is asking you to sign the petition below in
support of the occupation refusers and demanding their
immediate release from military prison. (This petition will
be published in the press.)
===========================
Refuse the Occupation
Now, that the smoke-screen of the disengagement plan has
dispersed, it has become clear once again that Israel's
brutal occupation of the Palestinian territories has by no
means ended and is in fact gaining force. The Israeli
government continues building the separation wall,
expanding its illegal settlements and oppressing the
Palestinian people in the occupied territories.
Wissam Qablan, Alex Cohn, Orwa Zidan, and Shaul
Mograbi-Berger are in military prison for their
conscientious refusal to enlist and take part in the
occupation and its ensuing oppression. Their imprisonment
is meant only to punish them and prevent them from obeying
the dictate of their conscience.
We call upon the Minister of Defense and the Chief of
Staff: Allow the jailed objectors to follow their
conscience -
Free the Occupation Refusers!
(name, e-mail).
For further information: www.refuz.org.il,
www.shministim.org.il
Donations: Please write cheques made out to New Profile and
send to:
New Profile, POB 9013, Jerusalem 91090, Israel
