Two conscientious objectors were sentenced on Tuesday, May 3, to a new stretch in military prison.  One of the refuseniks, Tair Kaminer, 19-year Israeli from Tel-Aviv, who so far has served 95 days in military prison, wrote on her Facebook page that it is not easy for her to refuse knowing that she will have to go back to prison, but to her regret, “reality continues to prove that we must oppose what is going on.” She wrote that as a result of the shooting of the brother and sister, Maram Ismail and Salah Taha at Kalandia checkpoint last week, she has “chills all over her body from anger and frustration over the situation. I am sad that I have today yet another reason to refuse induction, to refuse to serve this horrible occupation.”

Demonstration in solidarity with occupation objectors, Monday, May 2, at the Israeli Army Induction Center (“Bakum”) at Tel Hashomer, east of Tel Aviv. Among the demonstators, Tair Kaminer (white blouse) and Omri Baranes (to her left) who would be sentenced the following day to another 30 days in military prison. (Photo: Mesarvot)

This will be her fifth period in jail since she announced her refusal to join the IDF because of its role as the occupation force in the West Bank. At the end of this period Kaminer will have spent 125 days in military prison.  According to the Refuseniks Women Network “Mesarvot” which supports her, she will be the record holder as a result of her refusal to serve in the IDF. The additional refusenik is Omri Baranes, 18 from Rosh Ha’ayin, who was sentenced in April for the first time after she announced her refusal to join the IDF. Baranes announced that she “returns now to a second period in jail with great support around her and continues my non-violent struggle in the hope of creating a saner and less violent society.”

According to Haaretz editorial published on Thursday “the IDF must stop maltreating Kaminer and other conscientious objectors, and let them do civilian service instead.” “The army’s fear of these young people stems from the unjustified concern that others will follow in their footsteps. But the draconian measures taken against them betray a lack of moral confidence and a weak ethical backbone,” Haaretz said.

Related:

• Posts about Tair Kaminer and Omri Baranes
• Police Refuse to Release Video Footage of Thwarted Occupied West Bank “Stabbing Attack”
• Editorial from the newspaper Haaretz