Posted by ashuroyo from qn-212-58-162-88.quicknet.nl (212.58.162.88) on Wednesday, September 18, 2002 at 2:44PM :
http://www.bday.co.za/bday/content/direct/1,3523,1179836-6098-0,00.html
Young Israelis refuse military service
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------JERUSALEM
About 213 young Israelis called up for national service
said in a
petition released yesterday they would refuse to serve in
an "army of
occupation".
The petition was addressed to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon, Israeli
Defence Minister Binyamin ben Eliezer and Education
Minister Limor Livnat,
said a spokesman for the petitioners, Hagai Matar.
The petitioners accuse Israel of "committing war crimes and
violating human
rights" in the Palestinian territories, and back any form
of refusal to do
military service. "Among us there are some who refuse to
wear the uniform,
others refuse to serve beyond the Green Line (separating
Israel from the
West Bank and Gaza Strip) and others will find different
ways of refusing to
serve the occupation," said the petitioners. "The
occupation is not only
immoral, it also damages our security as it is driving the
Palestinians to
despair and provoking acts of terrorism."
A year ago, a similar but weaker statement of conscientious
objection
circulated among new call-ups for military service
attracted just 62
signatures.
In addition, 483 reserve officers and soldiers have signed
a "refusenik
petition", saying they will not serve in the occupied
territories. Eight of
the signatories appealed to the supreme court on September
4, asking it to
endorse their stance by ruling the occupation illegal.
The attorney-general countered by asking the court to deem
the plaintiffs'
refusal to serve illegal. The army, relying on reservists
to pursue its
reoccupation of the territories, has toughened its stand
against
conscientious objectors in recent months, after initially
turning a blind
eye to the movement. Sapa-AFP
-- ashuroyo
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