Israeli Conscientious Objector Hadas Amit sentenced to 5th term in prison

(Note to readers: This is a long posting. Please bear with us.)

Tal Hayoun, of the Israeli peace organization New Profile, reported on Feb. 27 that Israeli Conscientious Objector Hadas Amit was sentenced on Feb. 18 to 21 more days in military prison.

This is the fifth prison term for Hadas.

However, she was sent home because the prison was full, and had to return to the military Induction Base several times, and sent home for the same reason. On Thurs., Feb. 22 she was sent home, and then called back on the same day to be imprisoned. She had to spend the night at the Induction Base and then was sent to prison on Friday (Feb. 23).

Imprisonment of conscientious objectors such as Hadas Amit is a violation of international law and of basic human rights. Repeated 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 the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to constitute a clear case arbitrary detention.

In a letter to the military authorities, announcing her refusal to perform military service, Hadas wrote:

"If I were to be recruited into the army, this would absolutely and in all respects contradict my convictions and my way in life, since violence, killing, nationalism and vandalism are not part of them. I am not willing to wear the uniform of an organisation responsible for killing and destruction, acting in a way detrimental to its environment. Every State, the State of Israel included, should act by peaceful means alone, and even if attached, not to respond with fire. In any situation, Israel's case included, it is wrong to sustain a military force trained for war and killing -- this is altogether contrary to the pursuit of peace and coexistence with our neighbours in the Middle East."

Hadas appeared before the military Conscience Committee in November 2006, but was rejected. Hadas reported that during her hearing she was constantly interrupted and had to suffer degrading and disrespectful comments. A member of the committee demonstratively left the room, and two other members were exchanging notes, with her sitting between them, while she was trying to answer questions directed to her.

In a statement made on the eve of imprisonment Hadas wrote:

“I refuse to enlist in the IDF [Israel Defence Forces], as the D of ‘IDF’ symbolises nothing but killing to me. Who is it that decided that I am not seeking peace, and put me with my back to the wall? I could either lie or pay the price of my principles. It is for morality and justice and the love of humankind that I shall be sitting in prison.”

War Resisters International notes that since early 2005, women COs in Israel are referred to the same internal military Conscience Committee as male COs (despite official legal recognition of women’s right to CO), and there is no right of appeal on the Committee’s decisions. Accumulating evidence strongly suggests that the military Conscience Committee is fundamentally biased against women. It seems difficult for the members of this committee (four men and one woman; all but one of the men are military career officers) to perceive a woman as a person with principles, with a conscientious stance, and with commitment to this stance. As a result (although official figures are not released), the committee rejects a far higher percentage of applications by women than by men, and many of the women applicants describe their committee hearings as a degrading experience.

Letters of support to Hadas are extremely important to help her maintain her morale.

Letters of support to Israeli government and military officials, as well as news media, will alert them that there is international awareness of this fundamental violation of the right to conscience.

Hadas Amit’s prison address is:

Hadas Amit

Military ID 6175691

Military Prison No. 400

Military Postal Code 02447, IDF

Israel

Fax: ++972-3-9579348

Prison authorities block some of her mail from reaching her. Therefore, letters of support and encouragement can also be sent to Hadas via e-mail to amitdrch@gmail.com. These will be printed out and delivered to her on a family visit.

Here is a model letter (suggested by New Profile) that may be adapted for transmittal to Israeli officials and news media outlets. (Fax numbers and e-mail addresses are noted below.):

Dear Sir/Madam,

It has come to my attention that Hadas Amit, Military ID 6175691, a conscientious objector, has been imprisoned again for her refusal to perform military service, and is held in Military Prison No. 400.

The imprisonment of conscientious objectors such as Hadas Amit is a violation of international law, of basic human rights and of plain morals. The repeated 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 the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to constitute a clear case arbitrary detention.

Moreover, Hadas Amit's imprisonment comes after she had to undergo a degrading and unfair hearing procedure by a military committee, naturally biased against her as a conscientious objector, and doubly biased against her as a woman conscientious objector. Enacting such a procedure is in its own right a violation of the basic standards of fairness.

I therefore call for the immediate and unconditional release from prison of Hadas Amit, 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 human beings, in the future.

Sincerely,

Letters to Israeli government officials may be sent (preferably by fax, because Israeli officials tend to ignore their e-mail boxes, and e-mail often bounce; a letter sent by fax would probably be more effective.) to:

Mr. Amir Peretz

Minister of Defence

Ministry of Defence

37 Kaplan St.

Tel-Aviv 61909

Israel

E-mail: sar@mod.gov.il or pniot@mod.gov.il

Fax: ++972-3-696-27-57 / ++972-3-691-69-40 / ++972-3-691-79-15

In addition, War Resisters International has set up a web-based mailing service through which a standard e-mail letter (with added comments) may be sent to the Israeli Minister of Defence on Hadas' behalf. The form is available on the WRI website at: http://www.wri-irg.org/co/alerts/20061218a.html.

Copies of letters should also be sent to the commander of the military prison at:

Commander of Military Prison No. 400

Military Prison No. 400

Military postal number 02447, IDF

Israel

Fax: ++972-3-9579389

Copies should also be sent to the Military Attorney General:

Avichai Mandelblit,

Chief Military Attorney

Military postal code 9605, IDF

Israel

Fax: ++972-3-569-43-70

In addition, it will be useful to send copies of letters to the Commander of the Induction Base in Tel-HaShomer. It is this officer who 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:

Amir Rogowski

Commander of Induction Base

Meitav, Tel-HaShomer

Military Postal Code 02718, IDF

Israel

Fax: ++972-3-737-60-52

Letters to media in Israel and in other countries will be useful in pressuring the military authorities to let release conscientious objectors, as well as bringing their plight and their cause to public attention.

Here is contact information 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

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

Updates about Hadas Amit and other Israeli COs may be found on New Profile’s Web site (www.newprofile.org).

-- Posted by Adam Simms