The Israel Defense Forces Exemption Committee on Thursday declared Israeli occupation objector Natan Blanc unfit for duty, six months after he reported to the recruit bureau and announced his refusal to enlist. Upon his release, Blanc will have served a total of 178 days in jail in several consecutive stints. Blanc said several months ago. “I believe the Israeli military plays a major role in preserving the occupation, and my conscience does not allow me to participate in it.”
Blanc had requested permission to serve in the civilian paramedic service, but was refused by the army. Blanc also refused an army suggestion that he be declared unfit for IDF duty due to “psychological troubles.” The committee made its recommendation on Thursday following Blanc’s second appeal for exemption.
A demonstration in solidarity with Natan Blanc, Tel-Aviv, May 21 2013 (Photo: Activestills)
He first appeared before the committee on February 21, and was advised to fulfill his obligation by doing alternative service in a civilian hospital. Blanc happily accepted the decision, since he had already declared his intention to volunteer for national service with Magen David Adom when he first refused.
On February 24, the committee rejected his request to avoid military conscription. The committee is headed by Lt. Col. Yossi Malcha, who also heads the conscription reinforcement in the human resources department. Malcha is also the commander that sentenced Blanc the last three times.
Over the last decade, the IDF largely refrained from repeatedly putting conscientious objectors on trial. Until now the record was nine trials, which took place eight years ago, and the IDF preferred to release them after shorter prison sentences due to their unsuitability, in order to prevent an media frenzy over the trial, as took place six years ago in 2003 in the case of five occupation objectors sentenced to two years of prison. Dr. Yshai Menuchin, an activist in the Israeli group Yesh Gvul, which assists soldiers who object to the occupation, estimated that dozens of Israeli youths refuse to serve each year.
Last week more than 30 Israeli legal experts, including the dean of Hebrew University’s law school, signed an open letter urging the army to release Blanc and saying the detention violated his freedom of conscience. On Tuesday, May 21, 200 of his supporters demonstrated outside Israel’s military headquarters in Tel-Aviv among them MK Dov Khenin (Hadash), former MK Tamar Gozansky, veteran Communist Party of Israel (CPI) leader Benjamin Gonen and several CPI, Hadash and Young Communist League activists.
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