ISRAEL: Feminist conscientious objector Idan Halili jailed for 14 days War Resisters' International, London, 18 November 2005   On Tuesday morning, 15 November 2005, Israeli feminist conscientious objector Idan Halili (ISR14775) presented herself at the Israeli army's main Induction center near Tel Aviv.

Idan Halili refuses to enlist for mandatory military service based on her feminist beliefs and conscience. She wrote in a statement:

"A strongly patriarchal institution, like the army, underlines female marginality ... and the superiority of male-identified values. ... It might be said that a mood of sexual harassment is endemic to ... the army. And so the demand that a woman enlist is tantamount to demanding that she cope with sexual harassment ... Since the army is such a central institution in society, a culture of sexual harassment also is exported to ... civic society. ... I as a feminist, feel I must avoid military service and act to limit and reduce the influence of the army on civic society. ... When men spend a formative period of their lives in the military they are likely to receive positive reinforcements for the use of brute power and violence ... in an organization whose main values include superiority and control. ... I cannot join an organization which, either directly or indirectly, encourages violence ... of any form and kind ... against women. ... I cannot live in such flagrant denial of my conscience".

Idan Halili demanded to be heard by the army's so-called "conscience committee", which is authorised to grant exemption based on reasons of conscience.

On Tuesday, she was accompanied by 50 supporters, men and women, who held placards and distributed leaflets explaining the connection between the occupation of the Palestinian Territories, militarism and sexism in Israeli society.

Idan was briefly interviewed by the Head of the Women's Section at the Main Induction Center, spent the night in detention at the center, and was eventually sentenced to 14 days in military prison. She has been transferred to Military Prison 400 near Tel Aviv and is likely to undergo an indefinite number of re-incarcerations following her release on 28 November - as is the practice with other conscientious objectors.

Background

According to Israeli law, women are conscripted to the military, but - unlike men - they have a right to conscientious objection. Military service lasts for three years in the case of men, and 20-21 months in the case of women.

In it's report "Conscientious objection to military service in Israel: an unrecognised human right", War Resisters' International wrote:

"Women can claim exemption from military service on grounds of conscience under arts. 39 (c) and 40 of the Defence Service Law, according to which religious reasons can be grounds for exemption.

Art. 39 (c) deals with the exemption of women with a particular religious background. According to this article: "A female person of military age who has proved, in such manner and to such authority as shall be prescribed by regulations, that reasons of conscience or reasons connected with her family's religious way of life prevent her from serving in defence service, shall be exempt from the duty of that service."

Art. 40 specifies exemption on religious grounds. According to it, exemption is permissible when: "(1) reasons of religious conviction prevent her from serving in the defence service and (2) she observes the dietary laws at home and away from home and (3) she does not ride on the Sabbath."

This article is somewhat ambiguous, as it does not specify which religious conviction can achieve exemption. However, the military authorities have always assumed that it only applies to Jewish Orthodox women who keep the sabbath and kosher rules. There is no article specifying 'reasons of conscience', but conscientious objection of women is not limited to religious reasons.
Written application must be made to the Ministry of Defence conscription administration, before the first date for reporting at that office. Application procedure involves a hearing by an exemption board, which may include a Rabbi, psychiatrist, army officer, a representative of the public and a female soldier. Amnesty International comments that, "although the law treats female conscientious objectors more generously than males, this is not to say that Israel fully recognises the right of female conscientious objectors to exemption from military service. ...

Additionally, Israeli law does not recognise the right of women who have already served in the IDF to seek exemption from military service on grounds of conscientious objection". This also applies to women conscripts during their service, who do not have any option to apply for conscientious objection, or exemption. Almost all women who apply for exemption and go through the procedure - which might include appealing to a higher committee - are exempted from military service. However, the appearance before the committee is usually a humiliating experience. Most of the questions asked are irrelevant to the issue of conscientious objection. Information about the option of gaining a CO status is usually concealed by the army. No kind of regulations or criteria - other than administrative aspects of the committee's work - exist, especially there are no criteria regarding the granting of a CO status."

With few exceptions, most women COs have been granted conscientious objector status. However, in late 2003 and early 2004, several women COs spent time in military prison. Ingbal Gelbert (ISR13820) was the first women CO to go to prison for refusing to enlist (see co-alert, 21 November 2003), and by spring 2004 three women were serving prison terms (see co-alert, 3 March 2004). In August 2004 the Israeli Supreme Court published a decision on the appeal of women CO Laura Milo, which narrowed the right to conscientious objection for women (see co-update e-newsletter No 3, November 2004). However, this seems to have been widely ignored by the Israeli authorities.

Action

War Resisters' International calls for letters of support to Idan Halili:

Idan Halili (Mil ID 6863705)
Military Prison 400
Military Postal Code 02447
IDF
Israel

War Resisters' International calls for letters of protest to the Israeli authorities, and Israeli embassies abroad. An email letter can be sent at http://www.wri-irg.org/co/alerts/20051118a.html.

War Resisters' International calls for the immediate release of conscientious objector Idan Halili, and an end to the repeated imprisoned conscientious objectors.

Andreas Speck
War Resisters' International

Addresses
Shaul Mofaz
Minister of Defence,
Ministry of Defence,
37 Kaplan st.,
Tel-Aviv 61909,
Israel
e-mail: sar@mod.gov.il or pniot@mod.gov
Fax: +972-3-696-27-57 / +972-3-691-69-40 / +972-3-691-79-15

Commander of Military Prison No 4
Military Prison No 4
Military Postal Code 02507
IDF, Israel
Fax: +972-3-957-52-76

Commander of Military Prison No 6
Military Prison No 6
Military postal number 01860,
IDF, Israel.
Fax: +972-4-869-28-84

Addresses of Israeli embassies can be found at http://www.embassyworld.com/embassy/israel1.htm
Addresses of Israeli media:

Ma'ariv:
2 Karlibach st.
Tel-Aviv 67132
Israel
Fax: +972-3-561-06-14
e-mail: editor@maariv.co.il

Yedioth Aharonoth:
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Tel-Aviv
Israel
Fax: +972-3-608-25-46

Ha'aretz (Hebrew):
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Israel
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Ha'aretz (English edition):
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Tel-Aviv, 61001
Israel
Fax: +972-3-512-11-56
e-mail: letters@haaretz.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

Jerusalem Report:
Fax: +972-2-537-94-89

Radio (fax numbers):
Kol-Israel +972-2-531-33-15 and +972-3-694-47-09
Galei Tzahal +972-3-512-67-20

Television (fax numbers):
Channel 1 +972-2-530-15-36
Channel 2 +972-2-533-98-09

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