[GushShalom] Amidst all this more refusers get court-martialed

[info at gush-shalom.org]

GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/

Amidst the final count-up for the invasion of Iraq, four young Israelis are now 
facing court martial proceedings for their refusal to serve the occupation.  If 
convicted, they face up to three years' imprisonment. 

[] Shimri Tzameret joins the court martialers - an update
[] Please help finance the CO's legal struggle
   a request of the Objectors' Parents Forum in cooperation with the support   
   organizations

                                \\//\\//\\//\\//                               

[] Shimri Tzameret joins the court martialers - an update

On Sunday morning, the 'occupation refusers' Matan Kaminer, Haggai Matar, 
and Shimri Tzameret will be brought to the Jaffa Military Court, where the 
charges of "refusing an order" (i.e., the order to join the Israeli army) will be 
formally read out to them. 
Also next week to be expected the answer of the army's "Conscience 
Commission" in the case of 'pacifist refuser' Dror Boymel who after a 
preliminary session of the military court was singled out for being sent back 
to the  "Conscience Commission" - a privilege not given to that other pacifist 
refuser Yoni Ben Artzi, whose court martial will resume on Tuesday.

Eight other refusniks are undergoing shorter, repeated terms of 
imprisonment, usually 28 days at a time; after undergoing these five time, 
these can also expect to face a court martial: Yoni Yechezkel (140 days), 
Hile Goral (70 days), Noam Bahat (98 days), Adam Maa'or (98 days), 
Shachar Ben Har (42 days), and Konstantin Soskin, who is the newest and 
entered the prison this week. 
"I see the destructiveness of wars, the cruelty, the lack of humanity that 
mankind is able to demonstrate. The army is an instrument for creating wars 
and killing, and each and every war is a preparation for the next one" is how 
Soskin explains his reasons for refusal - formulating the protest of getting of 
age in such a cynical era.

[] Please help finance the CO's legal struggle
   a request of the Objectors' Parents Forum in cooperation with the support 
     organizations
------- Forwarded message follows -------
From:           	"Bahat" <bahat at nirit.org.il>

Support Freedom of Conscience for Israeli Conscientious Objectors on Trial

Conscientious Objection as a visible and powerfully symbolic form of
resistance to Israeli belligerence has reached a critical stage. Never
before in Israel have there been so many young objectors, men and women
openly declaring their refusal to enlist on grounds of conscience. Never
before have so many citizens committed to a campaign to publicly and
actively support them. Never before have so many of the young men among the
CO's been sentenced to indefinitely repeated prison terms. Never before has
there been such a concentrated legal struggle for freedom of conscience in
Israel, in effect placing the state and the military on trial.

In recent months, some 320 high school seniors, girls and boys, signed a
public letter declaring their refusal to serve in the Israeli army. In
response, the military is raising the stakes. While young women can obtain
exemptions on grounds of conscience, young men such as pacifist Jonathan
Ben-Artzi, one of the signatories of the High School Seniors' Letter
("Shministim"), is currently being court martialed after seven consecutive
prison terms imposed in disciplinary procedures. Yoni now faces the daunting
possibility of a three-year sentence.

The struggle against this blatant breach of freedom of conscience has led to
an appeal to Israel's High Court of Justice, challenging repeated
disciplinary sentences for the single 'offense' of refusing to serve in the
army on conscientious grounds. The Association for Civil-Rights in Israel
(ACRI) represented by Adv. Avner Pinchuk, appealed on behalf of Dror Beuml,
another "Shministim" letter signatory, after he served an accumulated term
of 168 days. Concurrently, the military summoned Dror to a court martial,
also summoning two more"Shministim" letter signatories, Haggai Matar and
Matan Kaminer, after each had served several consecutive prison terms.
Haggai and Matan, who refuse to serve in an occupying force, first appeared
before the court martial on February 26, 2003.

Jonathan, Haggai, and Matan are now being in held in so-called open
detention at 3 different military bases, pending decisions on their cases.
The fact that they are no longer in military prisons reflects a first
significant achievement of their respective lawyers, Adv. Michael Sphard and
Adv. Dov Khenin. Dror was submitted to re-screening by a military committee
appointed to recommend conscientious exemptions and awaits their verdict at
home.

The latest update is that Shimri Tzameret  joined Jonathan, Haggai, and Matan. 
He have been arrested until his trial. Dov Khenin will represent him. 

Additional objectors will require legal support very soon, among them Rabia
Saad, a Palestinian Druze Conscientious Objector, possibly facing an
exceptionally long prison term of the kind often imposed on Druze CO's.
More objectors have already been sentenced to repeated terms, among them,
Noam Bahat, Hillel Goral, Adam Maor, Shachar Ben-Har, Kon. Tos., Sh, Br. and others.
According to Military Attorney General, Menachem Finkelstein, all will soon
face full court martials. Among the imprisoned objectors, some are being
held in difficult conditions. Visits by lawyers are vital to monitor their
treatment. The conscription dates of yet more objectors are coming up,
promising to further extend this vicious cycle.

While some of the initial legal work has been provided pro bono (thanks to
the wonderful support of several lawyers, and of ACRI), the legal struggle
will be prolonged and difficult, including many court martials, possible
appeals to the High Court, and involving considerable expense. New Profile
is cooperating with the Objectors' Parents' Forum, and the High School
Seniors' Letter in an effort to raise the funds necessary to ensure
excellent legal representation for every CO.

Please help us support this crucial effort. Make any donation you are able
to support objectors in prison and on trial. (Mark your contribution to
ensure it is earmarked for legal aid to objectors.)

Contributions can be made by :
1. Direct bank transfers to New Profile's account:
HaPoalim Bank, account no. 421121 Branch 769, Trumpeldor Street Ramat
HaSharon, Israel
(Please email our treasurer kisch-e at zahav.net.il, or write us at the POBox
below, to let us know that the contribution is for legal aid.)
2. Posting checks directly to New Profile, at:
New Profile
POB 6187
Ramat HaSharon 47271
Israel
3. Making U.S. tax exempt contributions to New Profile via:
Via Us/Israel Women to Women -
Please make out checks to US/Israel Women to Women, and add a cover letter
directing the donation to New Profile; post to:
US/Israel Women to Women
45 W. 36th St.
New York, NY 10018
USA
Further information is available at:
· The New Profile website: http://www.newprofile.org/english/.
· The High School Seniors' Letter website: http://www.shministim.org/.
· The Yesh-Gvul website: http://www.yesh-gvul.org/.
· The Refuser Solidarity Network website: http://www.refusersolidarity.org/.
· Information on the objectors mentioned above and other imprisoned
objectors: http://www.indymedia.org.il/imc/israel/webcast/50858.html.
· War Resisters' International is organizing an international delegation to
monitor the trials of the objectors. If you wish to join that delegation,
please contact the WRI office at concodoc at wri-irg.org.