Israel Targets Conscientious Objectors: The Evidence Speaks For Itself
01 January 2014
By Stephen Lendman
It does it maliciously. It does it lawlessly. In
mid-November, Bar Ahronovitch was imprisoned. Natan
Blanc was victimized earlier.
Omar Saad now faces Israeli injustice. On December 23,
he was sentenced to 20 days in prison. For the second
time, he refused to perform military service. Why in
his own words below.
He's from Meghar village. It's in the Galilee. It's in
northern Israel. It has a proud tradition. It
justifiably defies unjust Israeli diktats. It refuses
to accept what's wrong. It does so courageously.
Saad is a conscientious objector (CO). He claims his
justifiable rights. He refuses to perform military
service. International laws and norms support him.
Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights states:
"Everyone has the right of freedom of thought,
conscience and religion..."
Article 19 states:
"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and
expression; this right includes freedom to hold
opinions without interference..."
Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights (ICCPR) states:
(1) "Everyone shall have the right to freedom of
thought, conscience and religion."
"This right shall include freedom to have or to adopt
a religion or belief of his choice, and freedom,
either individually or in community with others and in
public or private, to manifest his religion or belief
in worship, observance, practice and teaching."
(2) "No one shall be subject to coercion which would
impair his freedom to have or to adopt a religion or
belief of his choice."
The UN Human Rights Committee recognizes conscientious
objection (CO) rights. They reflect legitimate
exercise of free thought, conscience and religion.
They're universally guaranteed. Not in Israel.
On October 31, 2012, Israel summoned Saad to appear
for induction. He opposes compulsory military service.
He did then. He does now.
He wrote Netanyahu and then Defense Minister Ehud
Barak. He did so in October 2012. He said in part:
"...I completely oppose the compulsory army service
for my people of the Druze community."
"I refuse because I am a man of peace, and abhor
violence in all its forms and believe that the
military establishment is the optimum of physical and
psychological violence."
"Ever since I received the summons I feel my life has
been toppled upside down. I feel nervous and unable to
focus."
"I remembered the thousands of harsh images and could
not see myself in the military uniform and taking part
in oppressing my own people, the Palestinians, or
fighting my Arab brothers."
"In fact I declare myself as a conscientious objector
and refuse to serve in any army."
"I abhor oppression and oppose occupation. I detest
any form of fanaticism or suppression of freedom, and
I hate whoever arrests children, women and elderly
men."
"How can I carry arms against my brothers and my own
people in Palestine? How can I be soldier at the
Qalandia check point or at any other barrier when I
have experienced the oppression of barriers?"
"How can I prevent people from Ramallah visiting their
city, Jerusalem? How can I guard the separation wall?"
"How can I be the jailer of my own people when I know
that most of them are prisoners of war and seekers of
justice and freedom?"
Saad is a musician. So are his two brothers and
sister. They formed the Galilee String Quartet. They
perform professionally.
Saad and his brothers formed a separate ensemble. It's
called the Palestine Strings. They performed in
London. They did so during the 2013 Proms.
It's held annually. It's promoted as "the world's
greatest classical music festival." Performances are
at Royal Albert Hall. Saad and his brothers performed
to a packed house. Thousands attended.
IDF recruiters initially ignored him. They ordered him
to appear for induction on March 3, 2014. In late
November, they changed the date to December 4, 2013.
Arabs don't face compulsory military service. For
Druze citizens, it's mandatory. An estimated 84% of
Druze men serve. Most do so reluctantly.
Ajwad Zidan is a Druze youth. Israel imprisoned him
for six months for refusing conscription.
"Unlike pacifist Israelis," he said, "Druze objectors
do not get exemption on conscientious grounds."
"We suffer from extremely harsh treatment during our
imprisonment, which aims to intimidate us and scare
other Druze from taking a similar decision."
Druze Initiative Committee (DIC) secretary Samer Swaid
said:
"Despite (over) five decades of mandatory
conscription, Druze villages suffer, like the rest of
Palestinian villages in Israel, from institutionalized
and systematic marginalization and discrimination."
"Many Druze youth see themselves as part and parcel of
the Palestinian people and refuse to cooperate with a
system that kills and oppresses fellow Palestinians
and occupies their own land."
Conscripting Druze youths began in the 1950s. They're
a small minority. They lack organized leadership.
Israel took full advantage. It still does.
In 1958, Jamal Zidan co-founded the Free Young Druze
Movement (FYDM). He became the first Druze youth
imprisoned for refusing conscription.
Other outspoken refusniks included Samih al-Qasim and
Mohammad Nafa.
Al-Qasim is a prominent poet. His collections are well
known throughout the region. Nafa is a respected
writer.
In March 1972, FYDM and Israeli activists formed the
Druze Initiative Committee (DIC). It remains active
today. It's the leading Druze anti-conscription
organization.
Militarism is normal in Israel. Indoctrination begins
in kindergarten. Textbooks and classroom instruction
teach children to view military service as "noble and
worthy."
They're falsely told Israel's survival depends on it.
They're brainwashed to believe Arabs and Iranians pose
existential threats. With some exceptions, military
service is mandatory at age 18.
Under-age youths may enlist. Child recruitment is done
informally. Women serve like men. Israeli citizens and
permanent residents must comply. Arabs are excluded.
They may volunteer if they wish.
Israeli children are taught to hate Arabs. They're
vilified for not being Jews. Textbooks call them
"hostile, deviant, cruel, immoral, unfair, with the
intention to hurt Jews and to annihilate the State of
Israel."
Other characterizations include dangerous, violent,
terrorists, vipers, robbers, bloodthirsty, killers,
tribal, vengeful, ignorant, primitive, exotic, dirty,
noisy, colored, and easily inflamed.
Jews are called industrious, brave and superior.
Children too young to understand get this stuff
drummed into their impressionable minds.
High school student Daniel Banvolegyi once said:
"Our books basically tell us that everything the Jews
do is fine and legitimate and Arabs are wrong and
violent and are trying to exterminate us."
"We are accustomed to hearing the same thing, only one
side of the story. They teach us that Israel became a
state in 1948 and that the Arabs started a war."
"They don't mention what happened to the Arabs. They
never mention anything about refugees or Arabs having
to leave their towns and homes."
Palestinian education is polar opposite.
A June 2004 Israel/Palestinian Center for Research and
Information (IPCRI) report titled, "Analysis and
Evaluation of the New Palestinian Curriculum"
concluded that:
There's "no indication of hatred of the Western
Judeo-Christian tradition or the values associated
with it."
"(T)he textbooks promote an environment of
open-mindedness, rational thinking, modernization,
critical reflection and dialogue."
They "promote civil activity, commitment,
responsibility, solidarity, respecting others'
feelings, respecting and helping people with
disabilities, (and) reinforce students' understanding
of the values of civil society, such as respecting
human dignity; religious, social, cultural, racial,
ethnic, and political pluralism; personal, social and
moral responsibility; (and) transparency and
accountability."
The evidence speaks for itself. Which society do you
think is more equitable and just? Which one do you
support?
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached
at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book is
titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on
Humanity." http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. Listen
to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests
on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive
Radio Network. It airs Fridays at 10AM US Central time
and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are
archived for easy listening. http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour
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