The Jewish-American group Jewish Voice for Peace is campaigning in support of several young Israeli Jewish conscientious objectors to military service – Shministin – who have been imprisoned by Israeli authorities. Details of the campaign can be found here.
Jewish Voice for Peace is supported by a range of prominent progressive American Jews including folk singer Ronnie Gilbert (of The Weavers), feminist author Adrienne Rich and America’s leading radical historian Howard Zinn, who is a prime mover in this campaign.
I’ve signed the campaign letter to the Israeli Defence Minister and I encourage others to do likewise.
Signed.
While not signing the letter, I support the rights of any person to conscientiously object to military service.
We have a thread at the blogocrats that goes into some more detail of what the objectors have said.
They need all the support we can give them.
I suggest that they should have the option of either military servie in non-combat operations (e.g. medics) or alternatively seek refugee status due to political persecution and have their citizenship revoked. I’m sure Syria or Iran would welcome them.
The IDF is a second rate organisation with first rate equipment fighting third rate enemies – why would you want to be a part of that?
A friend of mine was one of the prominent refuseniks: an artillery officer, he was, and remains, willing to fight against any nation attacking Israel but point blank refused/refuses to participate in the occupied territories. He did time in military prison (takes a bit of explaining on his resume) and is now barred from serving in the IDF. Good luck to the Shministin.