AMERICAN LEFT HISTORY

This space is dedicated to the proposition that we need to know the history of the struggles on the left and of earlier progressive movements here and world-wide. If we can learn from the mistakes made in the past (as well as what went right) we can move forward in the future to create a more just and equitable society. We will be reviewing books, CDs, and movies we believe everyone needs to read, hear and look at as well as making commentary from time to time. Greg Green, site manager

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

The Courage To Resist –All Honor To The Heroic Israeli Draft Resisters And Soldier Who Have Refused To Take Part In The Bloodbath In Gaza

Frank Jackman comment:

A number of members of Veterans For Peace, an organization of veterans of the American government’s imperial adventures, now made up mostly of Vietnam War veterans as veterans of earlier wars pass on but increasingly veterans of the Iraq and Afghan campaigns, learned the hard way, and too late, like myself, that one could refuse to comply with the government draft and military campaign orders. We have come to appreciate the great courage that it takes to buck one’s government, one’s neighbors, one’s friends when the war drums beat out the marching orders and you are expected to join in lockstep. We salute those brothers and sisters in Israel who have either refused induction in the military or have refused to take part in the bloodbath in Gaza. One day when we live in a more peaceful world those sacrifices will find a well-deserved place of honor. Presente!!!

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Support Palestinian and Israeli war refusers

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11 Aug 2014 — HBrock

Related peace activists:

War Resisters' International supports nonviolent resisters in Palestine and Israel. We are in solidarity with conscientious objectors and those who refuse to participate in the Israeli army. Conscription is active in Israel for women and men, for Jewish Israelis and Palestinian Druze. As well as conscripting full-time recruits, reservists are also enlisted after their mandatory military service has ended. Many reservists have been drafted in 'Operation Protective Edge', the Israeli military assault on Gaza.
If you are subject to compulsory military service in Israel, and do not want to go, contact New Profile.

What you can do to support war resisters in Palestine and Israel

Disseminate the statement 'We are Israeli reservists. We refuse to serve.' (published 23 July 2014)
Send an email protesting the imprisonment of conscientious objector Udi Segal here.
Sign up to receive WRI's CO-Alerts. You will receive an email when conscientious objectors around the world are imprisoned or punished. You will be able to send an email to protest their persecution to the governments / authorities responsible
Read and distribute statement from WRI's Assembly WRI statement on the present Israeli assault on Gaza

News

Udi Segal, one of the 130 conscientious objectors who declared their refusal in a letter to the Israeli Prime Minister, was imprisoned on 28th July. Send an email protesting the imprisonment of conscientious objector Udi Segal here.
Listen to Udi explaining why he will not join the Israeli military:

Uriel Ferera, a conscientious objector in Israel, is in a cycle of call up to the military, imprisonment for refusal, and release. This video was taken at a support rally for Uriel outside the military prison that he is incarcerated in

In the film you will see Omar Sa'ad, a Druze Palestinian war refuser who was imprisoned six consecutive times for refusal to join the military.

Links

Check New Profile, WRI's affiliate in Israel, for news of conscientious objectors in Israel. Our Palestinian section, Jenin Creative Cultural Centre, can be contacted through their website. On facebook, Conscientious objectors against the occupation, Refusal to serve in the IDF are good sources of information on new refusers.
WRI affiliate Women Peacemakers Program have released a statement on violence in Gaza.
The European Network Against Arms Trade (ENAAT), in which WRI is involved, has released a statement calling on the European Union to end its military support for Israel.