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Events
April 18, 2010
Combatants for Peace: Remembering the Victims, Working Together for Peace
Israelis and Palestinians marking Memorial Day together.
» Click here for PDF with more information.
April 10-23, 2010
2010 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA NEW PROFILE SPEAKING TOUR
Ofra Lyth, an Israeli Jew, and Ismail Kharoub, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, will speak about the ongoing impact on Israel and its citizens of the continuing Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
RSN Supports...
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The Shministim, Israel's young conscientious objectors. |
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Yesh G'vul, an Israeli group supporting soldiers with the difficult decision to refuse. |
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New Profile provides education and support for nonviolent solutions. |
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Combatants for Peace brings together ex-soldiers from both sides for speaking tours. |
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Courage to Refuse
hosts the Combatant's Letter, a statement of refusal signed by over 600 IDF personnel |
RSN Store
BREAKING RANKS: Refusing to Serve in the West Bank and Gaza Strip explores the personal and political acts of refusal by Israeli reservists. Read it and pass it along to friends and family. Receive Breaking Ranks for free by making a contribution to the RSN or purchase it from the RSN Store.
RSN News:
Goldberg IIE Prize for Peace in the Middle East Honors Bassam Aramin & Avner Wishnitzer
NEW YORK, July 6, 2010 — The Institute of International Education (IIE) announced today that Bassam Aramin and Avner Wishnitzer, two of the founders of the group Combatants for Peace (CFP), have been selected to receive the 2010 Victor J. Goldberg IIE Prize for Peace in the Middle East. IIE Trustee Victor J. Goldberg created the prize to honor the outstanding contributions of two individuals, one Arab and one Israeli, working together to advance the cause of peace in the Middle East. The award, which includes a $10,000 prize, will be presented in October in Jerusalem at a ceremony hosted by the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv and the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem.
UC Santa Cruz Cancels New Profile Speaker
An April 20 talk by Palestinian and Jewish Israeli citizens on the cost of war and Israeli militarism is canceled at the last minute by UC Santa Cruz administration after some 90 Jewish students protest and 2 faculty write hard-hitting letter comparing proposed talk to hanging a noose to intimidate African American students. Talk organizer [RSN board member Scott Kennedy] finds alternative venue anyway, but Israeli peace group co-sponsoring talk gets really ticked off and writes even harder-hitting letter to faculty and students.
2010 Speaking Tour of Central California by New Profile
Ofra Lyth, an Israeli Jew, and Ismail Kharoub, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, will speak about the ongoing impact on Israel and its citizens of the continuing Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Investigation reopened into killing of Abir Aramin, daughter of Combatants for Peace founder
The State Prosecutor's Office submitted its response on Sunday to the High Court, in which it stated that during the last two weeks it has been decided to further investigate the death of a Palestinian girl three years ago.
Conscientious Objector Shir Regev in Prison and Updates on Other Objectors
Shir Regev, a conscientious objectors and anti-Occupation activist, was sentenced to 10 days in military prison. This is his second prison term in a row. Also, three previously imprisoned objectors have been exempted from military service and two others await imprisonment later on.
Israeli Women Soldiers Break the Silence
What's it like to be a woman serving in the Israeli occupation force in the West Bank? Is a woman's experience as an occupier any different than a man's? Yes indeed, say some women who have just broken their silence and offered a glimpse into the grim reality of the occupation.
Are Refusers going mainstream?
Brig. Gen (res.) Iftach Spector, the highest-ranking officer to sign the "pilots' letter," declaring the refusal to participate in operations in the territories in 2003, was last week awarded the golden wings given to Israel Air Force pilots to mark the 50th anniversary of their graduation from flight school.
Combatants for Peace: 2009 Final Quarterly Review
The final quarter of 2009 has been marked by two opposing currents for Combatants for Peace. On the one hand, we have continued to grow and the two new field groups formed over the summer have been branching out. Conversely, the movement's financial difficulties have had an impact, and unfortunately we could not hold all of the events and activities we had planned. However, in the face of these difficulties, our Israeli and Palestinian activists have managed to continue meeting, lecturing, organizing open houses, demonstrations and even holding a unique protest event on the one-year mark of the Gaza War.
Read the full report here [PDF]
Another refuser goes to prison
On February 1st, Emelia Marcovich is going to military prison for refusing to serve in the Israeli army.
New Profile response to the Minister of Education's directive banning New Profile speakers from high school debates on civil rights
New Profile was invited by the Association of Citizen's Rights (ACRI) to participate in a series of panels held with other human rights organizations in several high schools throughout Israel in commemoration of Human Rights Day. Following the first panel we were informed that Gideon Saar, our Minister of Education, had given a national directive banning New Profile from appearing in high schools in the future.
Read New Profile's response here...
New Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI) Research Finds:
Fundamental Shift in the Israel Defense Force's (IDF) Combat Doctrine Resulted In Extensive Harm to Civilians and Civilian Infrastructure During the Cast Lead Offensive In The Gaza Strip
This shift is legally and politically dangerous. It is a moral stain and demands substantial public discussion.
Gov't backs follow-up on 'religious' female draft-dodgers
The cabinet decided to support a bill intended to combat the phenomenon of women evading mandatory military service via fictitious declarations of a religious lifestyle.
Read more here: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3808948,00.html
Resisting Occupation with 'Free Funk' and Solidarity
Sarah Lazare and Stephen Funk are members of Dialogues Against Militarism (DAM) and are currently traveling throughout Israel and Occupied Palestine to bring their stories of military resistance to those Israelis and Palestinians who also struggle against the violence, militarism, and forced service.
Read the latest dispatch from their journey here: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/11/12-2
"I am not alone"
The increasing number of signatories from Rishon Le Zion shows that this is a growing phenomenon
Efi Brenner, one of the key signatories on the Conscientious Objectors letter that shook the country, knows the price and is willing to pay it.
Read more here: http://www.kibush.co.il/show_file.asp?num=36740
Investigation of New Profile Closed
The Prosecution is closing its case against the New Profile movement, suspected of encouraging youths to shirk military service.
Read more here.
First Objector from New Refusal Letter in Prison
A new collective declaration of refusal by Israeli youths, the 2009-2010 high school seniors letter, went public last week. Today (22 Oct.), two of its signatories, Efi Brenner and Or Ben-David, came to the military induction base in Tel-Hashomer and there refused to enlist. Efi was indeed sent to prison.
Efi has prepared the following statement upon entering prison:
I object to oppression, whether it is commited by a hierarchical organisation, such as the military is, or whether it is commited by the human species against animals. The Israeli government and military conduct a policy of occupation and oppression against the Palestinian people since 1948. It began with the expusion of Palestinians from their homes in 1948, which continues to this day, and continued with the imposition of an oppressive military rule on Palestinians, with the restriction of the freedom of movement of all people, with roads for Israelis only, with administrative detentions, house demolitions, land thefts, etc. We must act in peaceful ways and refuse to take part in the crimes commited by the military. That is our true duty. All the things mentioned above stand agaist the basic values of freedom and justice in which I believe and for which I struggle. I therefore refuse to enlist to the Israeli military and indeed to any military force of any kind.
For the complete story, including actions you can take, please click here.
Ezra Nawi Sentenced
Many of us have been following the case of human rights activist Ezra Nawi who has been facing charges for attempting to prevent demolition of a Palestinian home. Chaim Levinson writes today in Haaretz: "The Jerusalem Magistrate Court on Wednesday sentenced left-wing activist Ezra Nawi to one month in prison, after convicting him of assaulting police officers during the 2007 evacuation of illegal Palestinian caravans in the southern Hebron Hills."
Read Levinson's article on Haaretz
Read background on Ezra Nawi
Support the Shministim
The Shministim, high school aged conscientious objectors, have been making waves on recent tours of the US and South Africa. An article from Haaretz recounting their reception in South Africa is found here. Full accounts, interviews, statements (including their speech in South Africa, and a report of high school refusers confronting PM Netanyahu can be found on their web page.
A new petition in support of the Shministim is on-line here.
Israel's Palestinian Soldiers by Jonathan Cook
Demands from Israel's chief commander this month that all Israeli citizens should be required to perform national service has turned the spotlight on a rarely discussed group of soldiers: members of Israel's Palestinian minority.
Read more...
Haggai Matar, Israeli Peace Activist and New Profile member, Assaulted by Israeli Police
Read Haggai's account of this incident...
Read Haggai's testimony with some background...
Soldiers' Testimonies from "Operation Cast Lead," Gaza 2009, Released by Breaking the Silence
"You feel like an infantile little kid with a magnifying glass looking at ants, burning them." Fifty-four testimonies of Israeli combat soldiers who participated in Operation Cast Lead reveal gaps between the reports given by the army following January's events; the needless destruction of houses; firing phosphorous in populated areas and an atmosphere that encouraged shooting anywhere.
Download Booklet of Testimonies
Yesh Gvul Now Target of Police Investigation
Three members of the Yesh Gvul forum - Micha Rachman, Mordechai Zeldon and Peretz Kidron - have been summoned to interrogation by the Israeli police. The alleged grounds for the investigation is the suspicion that the group and its members engage in "incitement to evade military service", do so consistently and "promise financial incentives" to that end.
Read the Yesh Gvul press release...
Update of the Investigation of New Profile
Dear Friends and Supporters, So many have stepped forward to back New Profile during this time. We would like to thank you warmly. This has been deeply meaningful for us. In a truly amazing show of support, you have sent over 5,000 letters to Israel's Attorney General, protesting the criminalization of New Profile...
Action Alert: New Profile Needs Your Support
Jewish Voice for Peace reports that on April 26, 2009, a number of Israeli peace activists from New Profile had their computers confiscated, were called for interrogations, and were only released upon signing agreements not to contact their political friends for 30 days. JVP (and RSN)are asking you to contact the Israeli Attorney General to demand an immediate stop to this harassment.
Read Statement from New Profile
Send a Message to Israel's Attorney General, Menahem Mazuz
NEW PROFILE:
"Guilty of Being Feminist"
View Protest of the Investigation of New Profile and political persecution, 30-4-09 17:30, TEL AVIV
No Talking, Dammit!
The Israeli Police Crackdown on the New Profile Women
By DEB REICH, Counterpunch, May 1-3, 2009
Background:
Web site for IDF Draft Dodgers Faces Criminal Probe
by Amos Harel, Haaretz, 15/9/08
Update on Imprisoned Objectors
From New Profile
Combatants for Peace Complete Successful Tour
Bassam Aramin and Yaniv Reshef have been speaking to packed audiences on the East Coast. The Peace Abbey of Sherborn, MA presents the Courage of Conscience Award to Combatants for Peace as part of the tour.
"Passive" Refusal is not Enough to Stop War Crimes
by Shraga Elam
This I know from my own experience as a young Nahal soldier in the Six Day War of 1967... We were at the outskirts of the [Nablus] when the commander brought to us a group of young Palestinian civilians. He claimed that they were Jordanian soldiers who had discarded their uniforms...[and] therefore ...were to be treated as spies, meaning that they were to be executed, and he ordered us to do so...