[From the Dec. 9, 2002 edition of World War 3 Report]
http://ww3report.com/#palestine15

15. REFUSENIKS GET FORCED LABOR

Yonatan Ben Artzi and Uri Ya'acobi, two young men who both already
served five consecutive prison terms for refusing to be drafted into the
Israeli army, were sentenced for the sixth time Dec. 8, and received
respectively 35 and 28 days in Military Prison-4. Ben Artzi will at the
end of this period come close to half a year in prison. No community
service has been allowed for these conscientious objectors; instead
they face military prison with its short nights and its long days of
forced labor. The two are both members of the draft resistance movement
Shministim. They join the following "refuseniks," reservists serving
prison terms for refusing to serve:

** First Sgt.(res) Kobi Gabai-Yorista, sentenced to 10 days for refusing
to serve in the Occupied Territories, December 3.

 ** Major Chen Alon(res.), sentenced to 21 days for refusing to serve in
the Occupied Territories, November 25.

** Staff Sgt. M.G. (res.),sentenced to 21 days for refusing to serve in
the Occupied Territories, November 25.

** Staff Sgt. Dror Lutzatti (res.), sentenced to 18 days for refusing to
serve in the Occupied Territories, December 3.

** First Sgt. Eshel Herzog (res.) sentenced to 28 days for refusing to
take art in the Occupation, December 3

The two re-jailed this week have both been behind bars for more than 100
days already (Ben-Artzi 126, and Ya'acobi 106). The fact that there is
no sign of them being allowed to see the army's "Incompatibility
Commission"--the only way out of the vicious circle--indicates that a
long-standing has been changed. For years, such repeated imprisonments
of COs would never exceed 100 days.

(Refuser Solidarity Network, text taken from Gush Shalom, New Profile
and Yesh Gvul action alerts: http://www.refusersolidarity.net/)

The Yesh Gvul conscientious objector movement said Dec. 8 that since the
beginning of the Intifada in September 2000, 180 soldiers have served
time for refusal to serve. 146 of them were reserve soldiers, 16 were
conscripted and 18 of them were pre-draft youths. The composers of the
"refuseniks letter" in January 2000, who have formed an organization
called the "Courage to Refuse," say they hope to position themselves
"as a significant left-wing factor, one that will stand opposite the
settlers." (Ha'aretz, Dec. 8)

(http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?
itemNo=238955&contrassID=1&subContrassID=7&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y)

Amnesty International has adopted the cases of Ben Artzi and Ya'acovi.
The following URLs have more about their situations.

http://web.amnesty.org/web/web.nsf/pages/IOT_Conscientious_Objectors
http://www.refusersolidarity.net

(by David Bloom)

Reprinting permissible with attribution.
http://ww3report.com