10-04-05,9:03am

Sign A Petition In Support of The Occupation Refusers and To Demand Their Immediate Release

Alex Cohn, Wissam Qablan, Orwa Zidan and Shaul Mograbi-Berger are currently in military prison for their refusal, on grounds of conscientious objection, to serve the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.

Alex Cohn (19) is currently serving a seventh term in prison, and has spent a total of 124 days in military jail. Alex is one of the initiators of the 2005 Shministim (high school seniors) letter, which was signed by about 350 young people. In this letter they state that they do not intend to serve in the Israeli army so long as it serves the Occupation. In his letter to the Minister of Defense, Alex writes among other things: 'It is impossible to serve in the occupation army without taking part in the injustices it causes. The occupation is the result of a policy and not imposed by circumstances. The extent and power of its ramifications for the Israelis and Palestinians cannot be grasped. It is therefore unacceptable by any moral standard. Because one cannot serve in the army without taking part in the occupation, I cannot, in good conscience, enlist.' Wissam Qablan (20) has spent 100 days in prison. He first refused to enlist already in late 2003 and did not appear at the National Induction Base on the appointed day. This year he decided to present himself and he was subsequently jailed several times over on the grounds of his refusal. Wissam says that he refuses to serve in the army because he regards it as a tool used by the government to conduct a policy that destroys both peoples. He will not become part of such an organization.

Orwa Zidan (19) is now spending his second 21-day term in military jail. His brother, before him, was imprisoned too after he refused to serve on conscientious grounds. He was released after five months. Orwa's father, as well, was a CO in 1974, and his mother is active in the Druze refusal movement.

Shaul Mograbi-Berger (19), like Orwa, is currently in jail for a second term of 21 days. Shaul is an activist in the non-violent movement against the separation wall and with the Shministim. In his letter, dated January 2005, to the minister of defense, he wrote, among other things: 'For as long as this army is an occupying power, it won't have room for me. () Non-resistance to the occupation, and even more so to military service, is tantamount to approving of the occupation. () In making my refusal, I do not follow positive law, according to which it is my duty to enlist for military service, but I am faithful to substantive law. The latter, as I learned during civics classes, is, as its name suggests: the foundation and essence of democracy.'

The Forum of Parents of Conscientious Objectors (the Parents Forum) is asking you to sign the petition below in support of the occupation refusers and demanding their immediate release from military prison. (This petition will be published in the press.) =========================== Refuse the Occupation

Now, that the smoke-screen of the disengagement plan has dispersed, it has become clear once again that Israel's brutal occupation of the Palestinian territories has by no means ended and is in fact gaining force. The Israeli government continues building the separation wall, expanding its illegal settlements and oppressing the Palestinian people in the occupied territories.

Wissam Qablan, Alex Cohn, Orwa Zidan, and Shaul Mograbi-Berger are in military prison for their conscientious refusal to enlist and take part in the occupation and its ensuing oppression. Their imprisonment is meant only to punish them and prevent them from obeying the dictate of their conscience.

We call upon the Minister of Defense and the Chief of Staff: Allow the jailed objectors to follow their conscience -

Free the Occupation Refusers!

(name, e-mail).

For further information: www.refuz.org.il, www.shministim.org.il Donations: Please write cheques made out to New Profile and send to: New Profile, POB 9013, Jerusalem 91090, Israel