RSS Feeds
The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil,    but because of the people who don't do anything about it    
Occupation magazine - Activism

Home page  back Print  Send To friend

Wed. Nov. 16 - rally in support of CO Tamar Alon & Tamar Ze`evi
Conscientious Objectors Tamar Alon & Tamar Ze`evi to Refuse Conscription,
Expect to be Imprisoned.

Dozens will join them in a support rally as they report to the army’s
induction center
The rally will be held tomorrow -
Wednesday, November 16th, 9:00 AM at Tel HaShomer

TEL AVIV, November 15th, 2016 – Conscientious Objectors Tamar Alon & Tamar
Ze`evi will report tomorrow (Wednesday, Nov. 16th) to the Israeli army’s
induction center and declare their refusal to conscript. Their refusal is
due to their unwillingness to contribute to the oppression of the
Palestinian People. Both Alon and Ze`evi are expected to be imprisoned due
to their refusal. Supporters, friends and family members will accompany them
as they report to the induction center, on a support rally planned to take
place on Wednesday, November 16th at 9:00am across from the recruitment
center in Tel HaShomer. The demonstration will be led by Mesarvot –
Political Refusal Network, who supports and accompanies Alon and Ze`evi in
their refusal to conscript.

Tamar Ze`evi (19, Jerusalem) recently completed a year of service with
Sayarut (Green Horizons), a youth-led organization in which she has
participated since the 6th grade. Ze`evi enjoys traveling throughout Israel
and the world and is interested in sustainability and education. Her
decision to refuse to conscript stems from her deep familiarity with the
complicated political reality of Israel along with her strong sense of
belonging to it. She loves the land of Israel, but is unwilling to tolerate
the wrongdoings of the occupation committed by the State of Israel. In
refusing conscription, Ze`evi has chosen to take responsibility for her
actions, drawing a moral line line by actively resisting a government and a
policy that violates human rights and fueling violent and cruel reality.

In her declaration of refusal, Ze`evi states: `Out of love to the land and
to the people who live on it, I want to believe, and believe that there is a
different way, and change is possible. … We will get out of this cycle of
fear and violence only when we open our hearts and minds, look at what is
happening around us beyond the physical and social barriers, and allow
ourselves to feel the reality and the pain of all the people for whom this
land is home. Once we all agree to understand and accept that this is the
reality, I want to believe that the path of empathy, tolerance and
compromise will be our only choice.

Tamar Alon (18, Tel Aviv) is a graduate of Aleph Public School`s theater
program. Her father, peace activist Chen Alon, refused continuing to serve
as reserves officer during the second Intifada, and served jail time. Tamar
had met Palestinian peace activists in `Combatants for Peace`, the bi-
national peace movement her father Chen Alon was one of the co-founders.
These personal acquaintances exposed Alon to the harsh realities of their
lives from a young age. As she grew up, she realized the implications of the
occupation on the lives of Palestinians, and it was a decisive factor in her
decision to refuse to enlist.

In her declaration of refusal, Alon states: `I believe that the ways of war,
violence and oppression will not allow us to maintain a democratic state and
to be a `Free People in Our land`. I refuse to enlist out of concern and
love for the society to which I belong, and a desire to encourage public
discourse on this society`s character and future.`

Alon & Ze`evi join hundreds of Israeli objectors who have chosen to
discharge from military service - most of them without confronting the
military authorities due to the lack of recognition of the state and the
army in their freedom of conscience. Only a few choose to stick with their
truth and declare the reason they refuse to be drafted, even at the cost of
imprisonment. Objectors who choose to declare their refusal to enlist to the
military are tried in the military court system as if they were soldiers to
repeating incarcerations for their refusal, so the length of imprisonment is
not known and can reach months. Earlier this year, conscientious objector
Tair Kaminer was imprisoned for 166 days in military prison.

`Mesarvot – Political Refusal Network` is a network of conscientious
objectors that connects different initiatives, refusal groups and NGOs for
joint action. The network supports conscious objectors who choose not to
join the army of occupation, and addresses aspects of gender that come with
forced conscription in Israel.

Press Contact:
Hila Aloni Ohayon, Mesarvot Spokesperson
Mobile: +972-54-2457680
Email: hilaloni.pr@gmail.com
Links to the latest articles in this section

Young Israelis go to prison rather than take part in the Gaza War
Netanyahu flagrantly refuses to comply with the ceasefire resolution. The Security Council must take firm action!
Stop considering – Recognize Palestine Now!