From the Refusniks Parents’ Forum.
Current Developments on the Refusal Front
Passover and Refusal
Towards the celebration of Passover, the Festival of Freedom, we would do well to remember that the story of the Jewish people’s exodus from slavery to freedom is also the story of one of the first examples of conscientious objection in human history. No doubt that along the banks of the Nile there thronged many obedient conformists who obeyed the law of the state and drowned their Hebrew children. But neither humanity, nor, especially, the Jewish people, honor their memory. Humanity honors only the daughter of Pharoah, who heeded the voice of her conscience over the law and saved Moses from death.
Our warmest holiday greetings and our deep gratitude for your support!!!
Keeping the Issue Alive Before the Public
The five Israeli anti-occupation CO’s Haggai Matar, Matan Kaminer, Shimri Tzameret, Adam Maor and Noam Bahat appear to have adjusted to the difficult conditions in civilian prison. Despite severe restrictions such as infrequent and short visiting hours and rare leaves, their spirits are high and they remain imbued with a sense of purpose and dedication to the cause that inspired them: refusal to serve the occupation.
We have a specific request for a very specific purpose. We want very much to keep the refusnik issue before the public. We plan, for this purpose, to print a regular advertisement (five inches on two columns) in the Friday, (week-end) edition of Ha’aretz. The text of the ad is to be modified from week to week. It can serve a number of purposes such as a short and incisive message about the five CO’s and their cause; it can also be devoted to greetings from you, your group or your organization. In any event, we would like to publish the name of the contributors, who made the ad possible.
We have an arrangement with the advertisers for ten ads over two and half months. Each ad will cost approximately IL 2,300 or $500. (five hundred U.S. dollars.) We are asking you, as an individual, group or organization to consider covering the expense of one or more ads. We propose to include in the ad, the name of the specific individual or group that made publication possible. We are quite willing to include your greetings or statement of solidarity as the main text. We repeat that each ad costs $500. We can only succeed on the basis of your decision and commitment to help us with this project.
If you have any questions or suggestions in this matter, please do not hesitate to contact the Parents’ Forum via: Email: mssourk@mscc.huji.ac.il
Tel: 972 2 6414632
Fax: 972 2 6421979
Parents’ Forum Delegation Hosted at European Parliament
A four person delegation representing the Israeli Refusniks Parents’ Forum visited the European Parliament in Strasbourg on March 9-11, 2004. The delegation included Doron Matar, father of Haggai, Miri Maor, mother of Adam, Alma Yitshaki, one of the initiators of the High School Seniors Letter, who was released by the IDF last year and Daniel Tsal who is up for induction on April 13, 2004, and intends to refuse.
The delegation met with Jan Dhaene (Socialist), Belgium. Jan Dhaene is Vice-Chairman of the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with Israel. Dhaene, who himself refused induction into the Belgium army, but was permitted to perform humanitarian service instead, expressed surprise and dismay at the lack of such an arrangement in Israel. He expressed his willingness to visit the resisters in jail on his next visit to Israel. An interesting meeting took place with Menendez del Walle, (Spain) and Johannes Swoboda , both Socialists and members of the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council: The two MP’s suggested the composition of a draft resolution protesting the sentences against the five on behalf of members of the E.P.
The delegation was introduced briefly and received a warm welcome at a plenary meeting of approximately 100 members of the Socialist Group. The delegates used the opportunity to invite their hosts to the important Hearing on Wednesday afternoon. Afterwards, the delegation met with the members of the United Left faction. At this meeting, each member of the delegation delivered a short, moving address and received a very warm reception.
The Hearing
This was the central event of the visit and gave the delegation an opportunity to present its case and answer questions. After each member of the delegation had spoken and received warm applause from the audience, Simona Halperin of the Israeli delegation to the European Union who had asked to be present, was given the floor. She argued that a) Israeli is a democracy; b) the imprisoned CO’s should go to the High Court of Justice; c) Israel recognized pacifism as a basis for exemption but not selective refusal; d) Israel faces a similar problem from the settler right. All of these points were dealt with and refuted in the detailed presentations by the delegation.
Many MP’s expressed their admiration and solidarity with the five. An initiative to send a joint Parliamentary-Parents delegation to a meeting with the President of the European Parliament in order to suggest formal action by the E.C., was discussed.
The delegation also managed to hold an important meeting with a 30 strong delegation of the Greens and a warm meeting with a private group “Jewish Arab Collective and Citizens for Peace.”
The delegation summarized its evaluation of the visit by issuing the following statement: “We have every reason to believe that the visit was highly successful and will serve as the beginning of additional intensive contacts with European friends. We have been informed of steps already being taken to implement many of the proposals that arose in the framework of our different meetings. We want to take this opportunity to express our most sincere gratitude and admiration for Louisa Morgantini, a member of the EP for the Italian Party of the United Left. Her initiative and devotion, together with her deep understanding and feeling for Israelis and Arabs fighting for peace, made the trip and its success possible.”
Doron Matar,
Refusniks Parents’ Forum
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