New Profile Team
11.12.13
Dear Friends,
I hope all is well with you.
We have just learned that in addition to Druze refuser Omar Sa`ad, whom I notified you about the other day, there are other refusers in prison. Seif Abu Seif is one of them and he is in prison for refusing to serve in Israel`s military.
Please circulate this notification to your wider lists. Arabic and Hebrew translations can be found on our website. www.newprofile.org
Also I would like to invite you to follow me on Twitter. My handle is @hillerruth.
Thank you and all the best,
Ruth
- Please distribute widely -
Conscientious objector Seif Abu Seif sentenced to prison for the first time for his refusal to join the Israeli Army.
Seif Abu Seif, 18 years old from Shfaraam, a village in the Galil, arrived, Thursday 5/12/2013, to the Induction Base in Tal Hashomer where he declared his refusal to serve in the Israeli Army and take part in mandatory military service withihn the Arab-Palestinian Druze Comunity in Israel. On 5/12/2013, Seif was sentenced to 20 days of imprisonment for his refusal, in the military prison No. 6 near Atlit.
In his refusal decleration Seif wrote:
`How can I take part in jailing and killing my brothers? how can I identify with the state that confiscated our lands? how can I as a Druze Arab Palestinian stand against those who share with me life, tradition and fate? I cannot imagine that for a second.`
His prison address is:
Seif Abu Seif
Military ID 8065505
Military Prison No. 6
Military Postal Code 01860, IDF
Israel
Fax: ++972-4-9540580
Since the prison authorities often block mail from reaching imprisoned objectors, we also recommend you to send them your letters of support and encouragement via e-mail to: messages2prison@newprofile.org (hitting “reply all” to this message will send the message to the same address), and they will be printed out and delivered during visits.
Recommended Action
First of all, please circulate this message and the information contained in it as widely as possible, not only through e-mail, but also on websites, social networks, conventional media, by word of mouth, etc.
Other recommendations for action:
1. Sending Letters of Support
Please send Seif letters of support to the prison address above and via e-mail to: messages2prison@newprofile.org
2. Letters to Authorities
It is recommended to send letters of protest on the objectors’ behalf, preferably by fax, to:
Mr. Moshe Ya`alon,
Minister of Defence,
Ministry of Defence,
Hakirya,
Tel-Aviv 61909,
Israel.
E-mail: s...@mod.gov.il or pniot@mod.gov.il
Tel.: ++972-3-6975220
Fax: ++972-3-6962757
Copies of your letters can also be sent to the commander of the military prison at:
Commander of Military Prison No. 6,
Military Prison No. 6
Military Postal Code 01860, IDF
Israel
Fax: ++972-4-9540580
Another useful address for sending copies would be the Military Attorney General:
Denny Efroni,
Chief Military Attorney
Military postal code 9605, IDF
Israel
Fax: ++972-3-569-45-26
It would be especially useful to send your appeals to the Commander of the Induction Base in Tel-HaShomer. It is this officer that 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:
Gil Ben Shaul,
Commander of Induction Base,
Meitav, Tel-HaShomer
Military Postal Code 02718, IDF
Israel.
Fax: ++972-3-737-60-52
For those of you who live outside Israel, it would be very effective to send protests to your local Israeli embassy. You can find the address of your local embassy on the web.
Here is a generic sample letter, which you can use in sending appeals to authorities on the prisoners’ behalf. Feel free to modify this letter or write your own:
Dear Sir/Madam,
It has come to my attention that Seif Abu Seif (military ID 8065505), a conscientious objector to military service, has been imprisoned for the first time for his refusal to become part of the Israeli army, and is held in Military Prison no. 6 near Atlit.
The imprisonment of conscientious objectors such as Seif is a violation of international law, of basic human rights and of plain morals.
I therefore call for the immediate and unconditional release from prison of Seif Abu Seif, 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 persons, in the future.
Sincerely,
3. Letters to media in Israel and in other countries
Writing op-ed pieces and letters to editors of media in Israel and other countries could also be quite useful in indirectly but powerfully pressuring the military authorities to let go of the objectors and in bringing their plight and their cause to public attention.
Here are some contact details 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
Israel Hayom:
2 Hashlosha st.
The B1 Building
Tel-Aviv
Israel
e-mail: hayom@israelhayom.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
Channel 10 +972-3-733-16-66
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We will continue updating on further developments.
Thank you for your support,
New Profile Team |
