An Israeli High School school Graduate Imprisoned for refusing to Serve
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Udi Nir, who was part of a new group of high school seniors who signed a declaration of refusal to take part in the Israeli occupation by joining the Israeli army was sentenced on August 20th to 21 days in a detention center. He was arrested one day after he did not show up at the Induction Base and was immediately sentenced to 6 days in a detention center. The next the he was tried again and sentenced to 21 days for refusing to follow an order to enlist. Udi Nir is 19 years old.
In a brief statement on the day before his arrest, he said “I cannot take part in the activities of an occupying army, which constantly violates human rights. As an Israeli citizen and as an adolescent liable for enlistment I feel a sense of extensive responsibility for the cycle of violence and for all the choices I am making. It is out of this sense of responsibility that I refuse to enter the cycle of bloodshed and to add fuel to the fire of hatred raging here. I refuse to enlist into an occupying army so that I will not lend my own hand to the occupation and to acts that contradict my most basic values: human rights, democracy and the personal responsibility each and every human being bears towards fellow human beings."
He was transferred to the isolation ward for refusing to wear a prison uniform. He is set to be released on Sept. 7, but will probably be imprisoned several more times.
In a related story Avichai Vaknin who is an 18 years old pacifist and a conscientious objector was sentenced to 21 days in a detention center for refusing to enlist. He was told he would have to enlist on August 14th. He tried to get an exemption, but the army ignored his request. Eventually, he appeared at the Induction Base and on August 20th he was sentenced to 21 days in a detention center for refusing an order to enlist.
If anyone would like to write the Israeli
military on his behalf the address is:
Udi Nir
Military ID 6022372
Military Prison No. 6
Military Postal Code 01860, IDF
Israel
Fax: ++972-4-9540580
If anyone would like to organize around this issue email me at:
AJVP@rochester.rr.com