Saturday, August 16, 2014

***Yet Again On The Never-Ending Bob Dylan Express- Don’t Look Back

 
 
DVD Review

From The Pen Of Frank Jackman

Don’t Look Back, a documentary starring Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and other lesser known denizens of the 1960s folk minute, 1965

I have probably spent more cyber-ink relating the various aspects of the Bob Dylan experience, now rightly called the never-ending Bob Dylan tour than all the other 1960s folk singers and songwriters combined. (And right behind the tour the apparently never-ending bootleg series as more and more material previously un-released finds its way to the surface.) Strangely that seems right as well given the longevity of his career, the amount of material that he has produced, the effect he had on me personally ever since I first heard him on the local Boston Sunday night radio station, WBZ, in the early 1960s, his place in the 1960s folk minute, and his influence on the generation of ’68 which lived and died by his anthem, Like A Rolling Stone. The documentary under review (in the old days called cinema verite signifying a new way to look at what was being documented mainly its un-scribed nature), Don’t Look Back, is a slice of that 1960s moment when Dylan was at the height of his fame and influence before the motorcycle accident took him out of the limelight for most of the rest of the decade).

The film is essentially a recording of the famous Dylan concert tour to England in 1965 where he played to large crowded theaters and concert halls, and met and mingled with various British musicians, notably Donovan who seemed to be a rival of his in the universal folk world of the time. Mainly the action takes place in the small concert tour world of back stages, performances, and the down time in the hotel rooms. We get to see a fairly young (in his twenties) Dylan interacting (yeah, let’s call it interacting) with his companion of the time, Joan Baez, his roadie Bob Neuwirth, his manager (much maligned later and one can see why in this film), Albert Grossman, the press, the hotel staffs, the fans, and an occasional passer-by.

What we also see is what you get with Dylan from all accounts then (and now). The highlight for me, and something that made me realize that although Dylan is associated with the Village and the urban scene he grew up in the Midwest where country music would be no stranger to the radio airwaves of his youth, is the bars he earnestly sang of Hank Williams’ The Lost Highway. Watch this one if you are interested in a time when we thought the world held many possibilities, we thought we would turn things upside down, we were ready to fight for it, and Bob Dylan was in his prime.             

 
No New U.S. War In Iraq- Immediate Withdrawal Of All U.S. Troops And Mercenaries!  Stop The Bombing! –Stop The Arms Shipments …

Frand Jackman comment:

As the Nobel Peace Prize Winner, U.S. President Barack Obama, orders more air bombing strikes in the North, sends more “advisers” to “protect” American outposts in Iraq, and sends arms shipments to the Kurds guys who served in the American military during the Vietnam War and who, like me, belatedly, got “religion” on the war issue might very well be excused for disbelief when the White House keeps pounding out the propaganda that these actions are limited when all signs point to the slippery slope of escalation. Now not every event in history gets exactly repeated but given the recent United States Government’s history in Iraq those vets might be on to something. In any case dust off the old banners, placards, and buttons and get your voices in shape- just in case.

***

Here is something to think about:  

Workers and the oppressed have no interest in a victory by one combatant or the other in the reactionary Sunni-Shi’ite civil war. However, the international working class definitely has a side in opposing imperialist intervention in Iraq and demanding the immediate withdrawal of all U.S. troops and mercenaries. It is U.S. imperialism that constitutes the greatest danger to the world’s working people and downtrodden.
**************

U.S. Launches Airstrikes in Battle to Retake Iraq's Mosul Dam From ISIS


collapse story

U.S. fighter planes pounded targets in northern Iraq as a joint military operation kicked off to retake the country's largest dam from ISIS militants, officials said. U.S. military officials said FA-18 fighter bombers and armed drones were launching airstrikes and offering air cover to Iraqi and Kurdish forces fighting to regain control of the Mosul Dam.
ISIS fighters seized the dam on the Tigris River on Aug. 7 as part of an offensive that has seen large swaths of Iraq fall to the Sunni militants. Sources told NBC News the decision to try retaking the dam came after intelligence showed ISIS militants were not yet at a point where they could blow up the installation. The Mosul Dam is critical to Iraqi's entire infrastructure, so much so President Obama flagged its control as a key concern a week ago as he took off for vacation in Martha's Vineyard.

Iraqi and Kurdish Force Discuss ‘Team’ Effort Versus ISIS

NBC News

Kurdish Forces Fight ISIS as Iraqi Citizens Fear for Their Lives

Nightly News

In-Depth

- Jim Miklaszewski and Courtney Kube
U.S. Launches Airstrikes in Battle to Retake Iraq's Mosul Dam From ISIS   


Update on Jamil Al Amin

July 17th, 2014 Lynne wants everyone to know that Jamil is now at Butner Medical Center (federal prison facility) and we all must continue to pay close attention to his situation and make sure he gets good treatment while there.
The will be an update TONIGHT (7/17) at 8pm Eastern on the WBAI program Where We Live. Click here to go to the WBAI website and stream live tonight.

Emergency Meeting for Jamil Al Amin!

July 15th, 2014
Calling all people of conscience in New York. Please Forward Widely.
As you know, political prisoner Imam Jamil Al Amin (AKA H. Rap Brown) is in medical crisis. Please join the Campaign to Bring Mumia Home in this public response to his condition and incarceration. We welcome co-sponsors and co-organizers to this event. Please spread the word in your networks. Flyer below and attached. Also note the petition and letter from his wife, Sister Karima Al Amin, Esq. below with an update on his condition and numbers to call. Also listen to interview with Sis Karima and Ramsey Clark on WBAI’s Law and Disorder this Monday morning. (MP3)
Wed July 16 at 7PM
Bluestockings Bookstore
172 Allen Street
Petition
https://www.causes.com/posts/919704-and-what-answer-will-you-give-for-abandoning-your-brother
People of conscience should
  • contact the ADX at (719) 784-9464
  • send e-mails to FLM/ execassistant@bop.gov
  • voice concerns on http://www.bop.gov/inmates/concerns.jsp by selecting Florence ADMAX USP, and entering Jamil Al-Amin #99974-555
  • contact their Congressional reps
  • contact the Medical Director in Washington, DC, at nkendig@bop.gov
  • contact the director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Charles Samuels, in Washington, DC; and sign petitions.
  • There also is an effort underway to contact Eric Holder.

Letter from his wife, Karima Al Amin, Attorney at Law, with more details on his condition.

There are several updates on the internet, but this is where we are at this point:


1.)  Imam Jamil has had a dental problem for more than a year, which resulted in swollen jaws, broken teeth, and the inability to swallow;
2.)  He lost 29 lbs. over a three-week period;
3.)  His legs, feet and ankles have been swollen; and
4.)  He went through a two-week period whereby he could not get out of his bed except for two times a day.
He attempted to see a physician at ADX, but instead saw a physician’s assistant who gave him water pills, and antibiotics weeks after his second extraction.
Based on people calling and inquiries from two Congressional reps, ADX finally took blood and urine tests.  Results were shared with Imam Jamil, on June 23, 2014, a day after Attorney Ramsey Clark completed his visit with him at the ADX.  The Regional Medical Director discussed the preliminary findings with Imam Jamil and said the findings suggested that he may have Multiple Myeloma–cancer of the plasma cells, and the stage would be confirmed once he had a bone marrow biopsy.  If he has not reached stage 1 of the condition, then it would suggest that he has MGUS, which is a pre-Multiple Myeloma condition.  Imam Jamil’s take on the discussion was that he had cancer, and the stage would be confirmed once he has the biopsy.
Based on this information, his age (70 years), and the symptoms, we are calling for his immediate transfer to a federal medical center, Butner, NC, or Rochester, MN, where he could receive the appropriate monitoring and medical care.
I hope this information is useful.  Please let me know if you need additional information.  We appreciate your assistance.
Best,
Karima


Support Imam Jamil Al-Amin aka H. Rap Brown!

July 11th, 2014
From: Karima Al-Amin
I do want to send information to you, and folks are circulating numbers to call and things to do.  Just briefly, Imam Jamil has been ill for quite some time, i.e., loss of 29 lbs., abscesses in his mouth–swollen jaw, difficulty breathing, swollen feet and ankles, weakness, and fatigue.
We launched a campaign for people to contact Florence ADX, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the regional medical division of the FBOP, demanding that he be examined by a physician.  After pressure also from two Congressional reps, he finally had blood and urine tests.  We then found out that the results revealed perhaps an early stage of Multiple Myeloma–cancer of the plasma cells.  With this preliminary diagnosis, he has to have a bone marrow biopsy to determine the stage.
We are calling for him to be transferred immediately to a federal medical center (Butner, NC, or Rochester, MN) where he can receive the treatment that ADX failed to give him.
Please e-mail the following right now and request that he is moved to the best federal medical facility that can give him the best attention for this particular rare cancer.

Include his name and ID#:
Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin #99974-555

It is important to say, I am writing to request that Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin #99974-555 is moved from ADMAX, USP to the best federal medical facility that can give him the best attention for this particular rare cancer.

Please Call the following and request that he is moved to the best federal medical facility to receive comprehensive medical treatment:
It is important to say, hello I am calling to request that Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin #99974-555 is moved from ADMAX, USP to the best federal medical facility that can give him the best attention for this particular rare cancer.
  • Federal Bureau of Prisons (202) 307-3198 Press #3 for Office of General Counsel and request that he is moved. You will be transferred to an individual to document the call. Pressing #7 and then #6 for Medical Services simply gives other recordings and was not as effective.
  • Lisa Gregory, Director of Health Services for The North Central Region of the Federal Bureau of Prisons – telephone number – 913-621-3939. Press 0 (Zero) for the operator. Leave a message if necessary.
  • Please also Write:
Director Charles Samuels
Federal Bureau of Prisons
320 First Street, NW
Washington, DC 20534

July 2014 Blog from Lynne

July 2nd, 2014
My very dear friends, comrades, supporters;
Since my prognosis designated July as a terminal date, I decided I better write so that you would know that all is well and we continue to fight on !!
In the past months we had a superb trip and rousing events in California — lots of people old and new to continue to share in the joy that I am OUT !   Ralph and I danced in the street in the mission district of San Francisco accompanied by a Leftist Brass Band.  We had a barn burner event in Oakland and we traveled to San Jose, Marin County and Sacramento to meet and greet the many supporters who played the all important role that has put me back on the streets.  The effort was movement wide and proves what can be done. We just have to muster the will to do it.  After we returned to the East we made a visit to Boston and met with many folks of past struggles and of course, their greeting to me was formidable.  Right here in my own NYC we participated in the many events surrounding the effort to free Oscar Rivera Lopez, Puerto Rican political prisoner held for 33 years.  Hopefully that will happen soon.  We also made numerous phone calls and signed petitions on behalf of Abdullah Majid and Jalil Montecalm, Seth Hayes and Jamil el Amin and others  I am committed to emptying the jails of our Mandelas.
Healthwise I have been keepin’ on.  With guidance from my Doctor daughter Zenobia and the folks at Memorial Sloane Kettering I am embarked on an experimental regimen that has shown success in people whose cancer involvement is similar to mine.  It is quite rigorous in its scientific discipline and keeps us close to home even when we might want to be away.  BUT it is a positive hope and I am determined (as you all know) to beat this affliction into the ground and continue with the WORK.  It seems to become more pressing with each day as the predations of capitalism grow more ominous.
On the negative side, I continue to have trouble walking and must lean on the good Ralph — literally as I did figuratively for the last 4 years— Side effects from the experimental meds are bothersome but not more.  On the Positive side, we have moved from my generous son and daugher in law’s  back into the little house i was living in at the time I went to jail.  SNAIL MAIL   1676  8th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215   A great deal of family effort and a fair amount of $$$ made this possible but it is so restorative to be living there once again—my books, my old ’60′s posters, the family pictures…  Heavenly.  I just wish that I could summon up a little more energy to respond to many of you who have reached out to us. Hopefully the new drug will remedy this.
We are extremely grateful for all the money raised to help pay for the necessities, medical and otherwise.  Now that we are back out in the real world in our own house we have some new needs . Each visit to the Doctors in Manhattan costs at least $100. for parking and etc.   If you are in a position and feel inclined to help out, we are always appreciative.
Tomorrow I will be at SK to be prodded and poked and then we will join my beloved family upstate for the holiday to be celebrated in a revolutionary manner.  It is a good day to think about true revolutionary movements world wide and the people who made them,,not the least of whom are the many brave men and women in the political prisoner gulag of America.
LoveStruggle


Uprising Radio: Lynne Stewart and Ralph Poynter On Life, Activism, Prison, and Freedom

June 25th, 2014 Famed activist Lawyer Lynne Stewart as freed earlier this year on compassionate release as she battled cancer in prison. The celebrated lawyer who had been incarcerated under post 9-11 “Special Administrative Measures” for sharing her terrorism suspect client’s views with a reporter, was freed after 4 years in prison, where she suffered from late-stage breast cancer and was given only 18 months to live.
Progressives all over the nation, led by Stewart’s husband, Ralph Poynter, organized for her release for many months.
Lynne Stewart is well known for representing controversial clients, and according to one press account, she “defended America’s poor, underprivileged, unwanted, and forgotten (Indymedia).”

Photo: Lynne and Ralph at John Brown’s Grave

June 3rd, 2014
Lynne and Ralph at John Brown’s grave in Lake Placid, NY, 2014.

Lynne and Ralph’s Panel at the Left Forum (NYC)

May 29th, 2014

Photos: Lynne and Ralph Guest Speakers at Betty Davis’s Philosophy Class

May 17th, 2014
Ralph Poynter & Lynne  Stewart were guest speakers at Betty Davis’s senior class in philosophy  on this past Thursday, May 15,2014.

Support the new book from Lynne’s former client Tom Manning!

May 16th, 2014
Show Your Solidarity and Help Make this Inspiring Book Come Alive!
Tom Manning is a freedom fighter, political prisoner and prolific artist. His paintings are stories that jump off the page, revealing the outlook of people who struggle for liberation around the world. His paintings are about life and his landscapes recall times of importance. The years of work to produce this beautiful book and important document are nearing their end and we need your help to fund the last phase of production! ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/for-love-and-liberty
Featuring:
  • 86 full color reproductions of Tom’s Painting
  • Preface by Robby Meeropol
  • Article, “In My Time” by Tom
  • Poem by Assata, “Affirmation”
  • Autobiography of Tom Manning
  • Afterword by Ray Levasseur
  • Notes from photographer Penny Schoner
All proceeds, after production costs, will be donated to the Rosenberg Fund for Children: Twitter: @wwwrfcorg  Facebook:rosenbergfundforchildren

Tom Manning: Freedom Fighter, Political Prisoner

From the Preface by Robby Meerpol:
“Tom’s been incarcerated for 34 years.  But even before he received his current life sentence he was trapped by the limited choices left to an impoverished child surviving in Boston’s infamous Maverick Street Projects. The military during the Vietnam era seemed like a way out, but that too became a hellish form of confinement.
Tom broke free, he revolted.  He became a revolutionary.  He committed the unforgivable sin of confronting today’s great imperial empire, the United States, on its home turf.  For that, I expect the prison industrial complex will do its best to keep him confined for as long as it can.”
More info at: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/for-love-and-liberty

Support Sundiata Acoli!

May 15th, 2014
Please provide support for Sundiata whatever way you can.  If you’re in the region, go to the courthouse on May 28.  If not, donate to his legal defense or (if you cannot) send Sundiata your support after checking out his website (link below). The following information is from his webpage. KN

Sundiata gave the Sundiata Acoli Freedom Campaign (SAFC)  an update on his May 1st annual review. The parole board will reduce his sentence by only three months, to be taken off the 8-year (illegal) hit they added to his time. He would not be eligible for parole for over four more years. It is important to note that Sundiata has 41 years in prison and is 77 years old. He has maintained a clean record.
Sundiata’s attorney will argue an appeal of denial before the New Jersey Appellate Division in Trenton, New Jersey on May 28, 2014. This is an important and significant day.
http://www.sundiataacoli.org/

Thanks to the generous support of Resist, Inc. - Funding social change since 1967.

Friday, August 15, 2014

No New U.S. War In Iraq- Immediate Withdrawal Of All U.S. Troops And Mercenaries!  Stop The Bombing! –Stop The Arms Shipments …



Frank Jackman comment:

As the Nobel Peace Prize Winner, U.S. President Barack Obama, orders more air bombing strikes in the North, sends more “advisers” to “protect” American outposts in Iraq, and sends arms shipments to the Kurds guys who served in the American military during the Vietnam War and who, like me, belatedly, got “religion” on the war issue might very well be excused for disbelief when the White House keeps pounding out the propaganda that these actions are limited when all signs point to the slippery slope of escalation. Now not every event in history gets exactly repeated but given the recent United States Government’s history in Iraq those vets might be on to something. In any case dust off the old banners, placards, and buttons and get your voices in shape- just in case.
************


Here is something to think about:  

Workers and the oppressed have no interest in a victory by one combatant or the other in the reactionary Sunni-Shi’ite civil war. However, the international working class definitely has a side in opposing imperialist intervention in Iraq and demanding the immediate withdrawal of all U.S. troops and mercenaries. It is U.S. imperialism that constitutes the greatest danger to the world’s working people and downtrodden.


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!!!   
***********

Welcome to the Refuser Solidarity Network

RSN builds support for, seeks to increase the visibility of, and educates the public about the Israeli refuser movements, with the objective of working together with refusers to end Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories.

News Updates

Conscientious objector Omar Saad sentenced to prison for the 5th time
3/5/2014

Conscientious objector Omar Saad sentenced to prison for the

oren ziv/activestills

fifth time for his refusal to join the Israeli Army.

Omar Saad, 18 years old from Mghar, a village in the Galil, arrived, Sunday 2.3.2014, to the Induction Base in Tal Hashomer where he declared his refusal to serve in the Israeli Army. Omar was sentenced to 20 days of imprisonment for his refusal, in the military prison No. 6 near Atlit.
We also want to inform you that it has come to our attention that civilian lawyers, including lawyers from New Profile, are no longer allowed to visit Omar and other objectors, during his incarcerations in military prisons. The army claims that civilian lawyers are not certified to enter military prisons. We have appealed to Adalah (www.adalah.org/eng) to help us protest the issue.
 
Omar is a young guy belonging to the Palestinian Arab Druze community. This community, in contrast to Arab society in large, was the target of a decision by Prime Minister Ben Gurion in 1956 that forced them to serve in the Israeli army. following this decision, mobilization orders were sent to all Druze citizens in deployment age. That decision was faced with serious resistance from the Druze community for many reasons. The main reasons were: refusing to fight against their own people and demanding to be treated just like the rest of the Palestinian Arab society in Israel. (* To read more on this issue follow the reference below).
 
 
After being sentenced for the fifth time, Omar issued a public statement, as follows:
"I, the undersigned Omar Zaher Aldeen Saad , conceded myself to the Israeli Army authorities two months ago, determined to my rejection to do the Israeli military service.

I have been ruled 3 times in prison, and each time for 20 days, and today was sentenced for the fifth time and in retaliation decision for another 20 days.

Since one year and a half, I declared my refusal to conscription law imposed on the people of the Druze community, and I refuse to serve in the Israeli army, through a letter sent to Israel's Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, and until today I have not received any reply.


I declare it again and loudly: I am Omar Saad Zaher Aldeen I refuse to serve in the Israeli military army and I demand the respect for my faith and not to be obliged to do things that contradict with my conscience and principles.

I want my freedom.

Omar Zaher Aldeen Saad"

In his refusal decleration from 26/10/2012, Omar Saad wrote:
"I refuse that because I am pacifist, and I hate any kind of violence, and I believe that the army institute is the top of physical and psychological violence, and since I received your order for making the checking procedures my life changed completely. I became very nervous and my thoughts were dispersed. I remembered thousands of hard images, and I could not imagine myself wearing the military uniform andparticipating in suppressing my Palestinian people, and fighting my Arab brothers. I reject enlisting to the Israeli army or to any other army, because of national and moral reasons. I hate oppression, and I reject occupation."

You can read the full declaration here.

You can find more news items re Saad's imprisonment and Druze Refuse here and here and here and here.
Regardin the issue you can also watch a video by the Arab Druze group against military servise.
 
His prison address is:
Omar Saad
Military ID 08143090
Military Prison No. 6
Military Postal Code 01860, IDF

Israel
Fax: ++972-4-9540580
Since the prison authorities often block mail from reaching imprisoned objectors, we also recommend you to send them your letters of support and encouragement via e-mail to: messages2prison@newprofile.org (hitting “reply all” to this message will send the message to the same address), and they will be printed out and delivered during visits.

Recommended Action
First of all, please circulate this message and the information contained in it as widely as possible, not only through e-mail, but also on websites, social networks, conventional media, by word of mouth, etc.
Other recommendations for action:

1. Sending Letters of Support
Please send Omar letters of support to the prison address above and via e-mail to: messages2prison@newprofile.org

2. Letters to Authorities
It is recommended to send letters of protest on the objectors’ behalf, preferably by fax, to:
Mr. Moshe Ya'alon,
Minister of Defence,
Ministry of Defence,

Hakirya,
Tel-Aviv 61909,
Israel.
E-mail: s...@mod.gov.il or pniot@mod.gov.il

Tel.: ++972-3-6975220
Fax: ++972-3-6962757
Copies of your letters can also be sent to the commander of the military prison at:
Commander of Military Prison No. 6,
Military Prison No. 6
Military Postal Code 01860, IDF
Israel
Fax: ++972-4-9540580
Another useful address for sending copies would be the Military Attorney General:
Denny Efroni,
Chief Military Attorney
Military postal code 9605, IDF

Israel
Fax: ++972-3-569-45-26
It would be especially useful to send your appeals to the Commander of the Induction Base in Tel-HaShomer. It is this officer that ultimately decides whether an objector is to be exempted from military service or sent to another round in prison, and it is the same officer who is ultimately in charge of the military Conscience Committee:
Gil Ben Shaul,
Commander of Induction Base,

Meitav, Tel-HaShomer
Military Postal Code 02718, IDF
Israel.
Fax: ++972-3-737-60-52
For those of you who live outside Israel, it would be very effective to send protests to your local Israeli embassy. You can find the address of your local embassy on the web.
Here is a generic sample letter, which you can use in sending appeals to authorities on the prisoners’ behalf. Feel free to modify this letter or write your own:

Dear Sir/Madam,
It has come to my attention that Omar Saad (military ID 08143090), a conscientious objector to military service, has been imprisoned for the fifth time for his refusal to become part of the Israeli army, and is held in Military Prison no. 6 near Atlit.

The imprisonment of conscientious objectors such as Saad is a violation of international law, of basic human rights and of plain morals. The repeater imprisonment of conscientious objectors is an especially grave offence, as it means sentencing a person more than once for the same offence, and has been judged by th UN working Group on Arbitrary Detention to constitute a clear case arbitrary detention.

I therefore call for the immediate and unconditional release from prison of Omar Saad, without threat of further imprisonment in the future, and urge you and the system you are heading to respect the dignity and person of conscientious objectors, indeed of all persons, in the future.
Sincerely,
3. Letters to media in Israel and in other countries
Writing op-ed pieces and letters to editors of media in Israel and other countries could also be quite useful in indirectly but powerfully pressuring the military authorities to let go of the objectors and in bringing their plight and their cause to public attention. 
Here are some contact details for the main media outlets in Israel: 
Ma'ariv:
2 Karlibach st.
Tel-Aviv 67132
Israel
Fax: +972-3-561-06-14
e-mail: editor@maariv.co.il
Yedioth Aharonoth:
2 Moses st.
Tel-Aviv
Israel
Fax: +972-3-608-25-46
Ha'aretz (Hebrew):
21 Schocken st.
Tel-Aviv, 61001
Israel
Fax: +972-3-681-00-12
Ha'aretz (English edition):

21 Schocken st.
Tel-Aviv, 61001
Israel
Fax: +972-3-512-11-56
e-mail: letters@haaretz.co.il
Israel Hayom:
2 Hashlosha st.
The B1 Building
Tel-Aviv
Israel
e-mail: hayom@israelhayom.co.il
Jerusalem Post:
P.O. Box 81
Jerusalem 91000
Israel
Fax: +972-2-538-95-27

e-mail: news@jpost.co.il or letters@jpost.co.il
Radio (fax numbers):

Kol-Israel  +972-2-531-33-15

and  +972-3-694-47-09


Galei Zahal  +972-3-512-67-20
Television (fax numbers):
Channel 1  +972-2-530-15-36

Channel 2  +972-2-533-98-09

Channel 10  +972-3-733-16-66
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 
We will continue updating on further developments.
Thank you for your support,
 New Profil
Conscientious objector Eyal Yablonko sentenced to prison for the Second time for his refusal to join the Israeli Army.
July 29. 2013
Eyal Yablonko, 18.5 years old from Jaffa arrived, Monday 29.7.2013, to the Induction Base in Tal-hashomer, where he again declared his refusal to serve in the Israeli Army, he was sentenced to 20 days of imprisonment for his refusal, in the military prison No. 6 near Atlit.
His prison address is:
Eyal Yablonko
Military ID 205997406
Military Prison No. 6
Military Postal Code 01860, IDF
Israel
Fax: ++972-4-9540580
Since the prison authorities often block mail from reaching imprisoned objectors, we also recommend you to send them your letters of support and encouragement via e-mail to: messages2prison@newprofile.org, and they will be printed out and delivered during visits.

Recommended Action

First of all, please circulate this message and the information contained in it as widely as possible, not only through e-mail, but also on websites, social networks, conventional media, by word of mouth, etc.

Other recommendations for action:

  1. Sending Letters of Support
    Please send Eyal letters of support to the prison address above and via e-mail to: messages2prison@newprofile.org

  2. Letters to Authorities
    It is recommended to send letters of protest on the objectors' behalf, preferably by fax, to:
    Mr. Moshe Ya'alon
    Ministry of Defence
    Hakirya
    Tel-Aviv 61909
    Israel
    Tel.: ++972-3-6975220
    Fax: ++972-3-6962757
    Copies of your letters can also be sent to the commander of the military prison at:
    Commander of Military Prison No. 6
    Military Prison No. 6
    Military Postal Code 01860, IDF
    Israel
    Fax: ++972-4-9540580
    Another useful address for sending copies would be the Military Attorney General:
    Denny Efroni
    Chief Military Attorney
    Military postal code 9605, IDF
    Israel
    Fax: ++972-3-569-45-26
    It would be especially useful to send your appeals to the Commander of the Induction Base in Tel-HaShomer. It is this officer that ultimately decides whether an objector is to be exempted from military service or sent to another round in prison, and it is the same officer who is ultimately in charge of the military Conscience Committee:
    Gil Ben Shaul,
    Commander of Induction Base
    Meitav, Tel-HaShomer
    Military Postal Code 02718, IDF
    Israel
    Fax: ++972-3-737-60-52
    For those of you who live outside Israel, it would be very effective to send protests to your local Israeli embassy. You can find the address of your local embassy on the web.
    Here is a generic sample letter, which you can use in sending appeals to authorities on the prisoners'' behalf. Feel free to modify this letter or write your own:
    Dear Sir/Madam,
    It has come to my attention that Eyal Yablonko (military ID 205997406), a conscientious objector to military service, has been imprisoned for the Second time for his refusal to become part of the Israeli army, and is held in Military Prison no. 6 near Atlit.
    The imprisonment of conscientious objectors such as Yablonko is a violation of international law, of basic human rights and of plain morals. The repeater imprisonment of conscientious objectors is an especially grave offence, as it means sentencing a person more than once for the same offence, and has been judged by th UN working Group on Arbitrary Detention to constitute a clear case arbitrary detention.
    I therefore call for the immediate and unconditional release from prison of Eyal Yablonko, without threat of further imprisonment in the future, and urge you and the system you are heading to respect the dignity and person of conscientious objectors, indeed of all persons, in the future.
    Sincerely,
  3. Letters to media in Israel and in other countries
    Writing op-ed pieces and letters to editors of media in Israel and other countries could also be quite useful in indirectly but powerfully pressuring the military authorities to let go of the objectors and in bringing their plight and their cause to public attention. Ma'ariv:
    2 Karlibach st.
    Tel-Aviv 67132
    Israel
    Fax: +972-3-561-06-14
    e-mail: editor@maariv.co.il
    Yedioth Aharonoth:
    2 Moses st.
    Tel-Aviv
    Israel
    Fax: +972-3-608-25-46
    Ha'aretz (English edition):
    21 Schocken st.
    Tel-Aviv, 61001
    Israel
    Fax: +972-3-512-11-56
    e-mail: letters@haaretz.co.il
    Jerusalem Post:
    P.O. Box 81
    Jerusalem 91000
    Israel
    Fax: +972-2-538-95-27
    e-mail: news@jpost.co.il or letters@jpost.co.il
Petition to support Natan Blanc
20 May, 2013
Last week Natan Blanc was sentenced to an additional 28 days to military prison. New Profile, along with Amnesty International, War Resisters International, Yesh Gvul, Gush Shalom, and Connection have initiated a petition. Presently the petition is in English and German.
Please select a link to sign:
English version
German version

Please circulate to your wider lists.

Conscientious objector Natan Blanc sentenced to prison
April 17, 2013
Conscientious objector Natan Blanc sentenced to prison for the Ninth time for his refusal to join the Israeli Army.
Natan Blanc, 19 years old from Haifa, arrived, Wednesday, 17.4.2013, to the Induction Base in Tal-hashomer, where he again declared his refusal to serve in the Israeli Army. In 18.4.2013 he was sentenced to 20 days of imprisonment for his refusal, in the military prison No. 6 near Atlit.
Natan Blanc imprisoned for the eighth time
April 4, 2013

Natan Blanc has been imprisoned for the eighth time

Conscientious objector Natan Blanc sentenced to prison for the eightt time for his refusal to join the Israeli Army.
Natan Blanc, 19 years old from Haifa arrived, Tuseday, 2.4.2013, to the Induction Base in Tal-hashomer, where he again declared his refusal to serve in the Israeli Army. he was sentenced to 14 days of imprisonment for his refusal, in the military prison No. 6 near Atlit.
In his refusal declaration Natan Blanc wrote:
I began thinking about refusing to conscripted into the Israeli Army during the "Cast Lead" operation in 2008. The wave of aggressive militarism that swept the country then, the expressions of mutual hatred, and the vacuous talk about stamping out terror and creating a deterrent effect were the primary trigger for my refusal. Today, after four years full of terror, without a political process [towards peace negotiations], and without quiet in Gaza and Sderot, it is clear that the Netanyahu Government, like that of his predecessor Olmert, is not interested in finding a solution to the existing situation, but rather in preserving it.
From their point of view, there is nothing wrong with our initiating a "Cast Lead" operation every three or four years (and then 3, 4,5 and 6): we will talk of deterrence, we will kill some terrorist, we will lose some civilians on both sides, and we will prepare the ground for a new generation full of hatred on both sides. As representatives of the people, members of the cabinet have no duty to present their vision for the futures of the country, and they can continue with this bloody cycle, with no end in sight.
But we, as citizens and human beings, have a moral duty to refuse to participate in this cynical game.
For more information see:
http://972mag.com/draft-resister-sent-back-to-prison-eight-sentences-130...
http://mondoweiss.net/2013/04/israeli-conscientious-objector.html
http://conscientiousobjectors.wordpress.com/2013/04/01/the-guardian-stor...
To military prison, instead of Gaza
November 19, 2012

Israeli Conscientious Objector Natan Blanc to be imprisoned this morning

Today, Monday November 19th, Natan Blanc, a 19 years old Israeli from old Haifa, will show up at the recruitment bureau, inform officers there of his refusal to serve in the IDF, and will likely be sent immediately to the military prison. His act of conscientious refusal is directly connected to the current situation and the army's acts in Gaza. He took this decision even before hearing the terrible news of five women and four children being killed today by a single Israeli Air Force bomb:
I began thinking about refusing to join the Israeli Army during the 'Cast Lead' operation in 2008. The wave of aggressive militarism that swept the country then, the expressions of mutual hatred, and the vacuous talk about stamping out terror and creating a deterrent effect were the primary trigger for my refusal.
Today, after four years full of terror, without a political process [towards peace negotiations], and without quiet in Gaza and Sderot, it is clear that the Netanyahu Government, like that of his predecessor Olmert, is not interested in finding a solution to the existing situation, but rather in preserving it. From their point of view, there is nothing wrong with our initiating a 'Cast Lead 2' operation every three or four years (and then 3, 4,5 and 6): we will talk of deterrence, we will kill some terrorist, we will lose some civilians on both sides, and we will prepare the ground for a new generation full of hatred on both sides.
As representatives of the people, members of the cabinet have no duty to present their vision for the futures of the country, and they can continue with this bloody cycle, with no end in sight. But we, as citizens and human beings, have a moral duty to refuse to participate in this cynical game. That is why I have decided to refuse to be inducted into the Israeli Army on the date of my call-up order, November 19, 2012.
—Natan Blanc
Peretz Kidron Memorial
November 11, 2012
Dear Friend,
On Friday 9/11 at 15:00 we will assemble at the Kiryat Anavim cemetery to commemorate one year since Peretz Kidron's passing. Peretz was a dedicated peace and human rights activist, and a veteran member of Yesh Gvul.
Afterward we will meet at the Bustan Abu Gosh restaurant.
Please see these links for more info on Peretz, a dedicated peace and human rights activist: Facebook Page
Best Wishes
Yesh Gvul
Group of J14 activists to refuse their military reserve duty
July 16, 2012
We received this email update from Ruth Hiller, of New Profile:
Dear Friends,
I hope all is well with you.
I don't know how many of you are following the newest wave of social protest going on in Israel. Saturday, July 14th marked a year since it began, and demonstrations were held in most of the larger cities in Israel. During the demonstration that took place in Tel Aviv, Moshe Silman, a social activist from Haifa, who is unemployed and homeless, read a letter that he wrote to the government having been refused social benefits and rent assistance several times, and set himself on fire. The act in itself is horrific and sad. Moshe has burns on 96% of his body, is in a medically induced coma and is being ventilated. This is a tragedy for his family and for Israel, as so much could have been done to help him so that he would not have to reach this level of extreme desperation.
The discussion of why Moshe Silman and why he did what he did is very today's discussion all over Israel. Here is a man who once owned his own small trucking business and an apartment. But due to debts incurred to the National Insurance Institute (our Social Security system), he had to claim bankruptcy and also lost his home. Additionally he then suffered a series of small strokes and was unable to seek employment. From here everything was then downhill for he and in spite of the many applications for financial aid, he was deemed ineligible. Moshe Silman's sister gave several TV and radio interviews and shared with the Israeli public how he used to be a very proud man and how his sense of pride was beaten.
Other people in Israel have committed suicide, leaving testimonies of great shame in their inability to maintain their households and support their families. But for them it is a very private matter. In any event it is difficult for me to comprehend the choice of taking one's life to prove a point. At the same time while it is not my place to criticize the act, I also can't rationalize and call Moshe Silman a social justice hero. I would not want others, who have reached similar levels of desperation, to take their lives. (Just this morning a man tried to set himself on fire before the National Insurance Institute offices in Be'er Sheva, but was stopped on time by a security guard.) Moshe is not one case, and there are many other Israeli citizens, from all the ethnic sectors, who are experiencing the same systematic red tape treatment by governmental offices. However the social movement has been consistent in one aspect from the get go, and has kept matters of social services, affordable medical services, and affordable housing high up on the agenda.
Now Haggai Matar, a colleague and fellow activist in New Profile, writes about an new phenomena within the Israel social protest - conscientious objection in protest of neo-liberalism and the lack of social justice. I think you will find the article in the link below, which appeared earlier today on the online magazine +972, of much interest.
Thanks and all the best,
Ruth
Subscribe to Refuser Solidarity Network RSS