An Israeli Defense Forces soldier, currently serving time in a military prison for his refusal to serve in the IDF and participate in Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian Territories, has begun a hunger strike in solidarity with scores of Palestinian administrative detainees.
Amira Hass at Haaretz writes:
Yaniv Mazor, a 31-year-old Jerusalem resident, was sentenced last week to 20 days in jail over his refusal to fill any position, be it combat or otherwise, in what he said was the occupying army. He was transferred to the IDF’s Tzrifin prison on Monday, launching his hunger strike the following day. In a phone conversation with his attorney Michael Sfard on Friday, Mazor said that he had “become appalled over the last few months by the hunger strike initiated by Palestinian administrative prisoners, but I couldn’t do much about it.”
“I decided to start a hunger strike in solidarity [with the Palestinians], and in order to raise awareness on the issue of administrative detention, and not to prompt my own release,” Mazor added.
This courageous and rare move from an Israeli solider comes on the heels of massive hunger strikes from Palestinian prisoners in recent months. The strikes have put pressure on Israel to improve conditions for Palestinian prisoners and end the country’s widespread use of administrative detentions.
Palestinians living in the West Bank — or the Palestinian Territories — are subject to military law, and hundreds of Palestinians at any given moment are held in Israeli jails without any due process or even charges, many of whom are held for over a year under such conditions.
Noam Sheizaf at +972 Magazine reports:
At any given moment, hundreds of Palestinians are held by Israel without trial, with no charges filed against them, and without the ability to defend themselves against non-existent charges. In short, they are simply thrown into prison for a period of up to six months, which can be renewed indefinitely.
[…]
Administrative detention exist in other countries, but is considered a unique and exceptional measure, and its implementation usually leads to a vigorous public debate. In the West Bank, it’s routine. Over the years, Israel has held thousands of Palestinians in administrative detention for periods ranging from a few months to several years. Eighty of the Palestinians held under administrative arrest – some 26 percent of the detainees – have been held for six months to one year; another 88 people (about 28.5 percent) from one to two years. Sixteen Palestinians have been in administrative detention continuously for two to four and a half years, and one man has been held for over five years.
Such a state of affairs is precisely why Palestinians, by the thousands, have in recent months decided to nonviolently protest by refusing to eat.
And now, an Israeli soldier, refusing to participate in this military reality in the Palestinian Territories, has joined them.
It’s a brave move, and one that is not going unnoticed in Israel, as coverage of his strike grows – coverage that is slowly showing Israelis the true reality of their country’s ongoing occupation.
Follow the author – David Harris-Gershon – on Twitter @David_EHG
I have news for you, I served in the IDF with many who objected to government policies with regard to Palestinians and none of then refused to report to duty. My service took me to Lebanon on 1982 and Gaza in 1988. When yo hod yourself a way form service, someone else is forced to fill in. So it really is a selfish and self serving act. Seeing as you never served a day in uniform, you would not understand.
Alhumdullilah, Shalom and Salaam together form a necessary corollary to peace-building in the Middle East.
Dear Don, I am sure that you are not implying that serving one’s conscientious objectorship in an Israeli prison among extremist Israeli guards and Arab nationalists is a shirking of moral or spiritual duty.
Why am I not surprised? Your argument, Don, makes me think of the non-argument from pro-Apartheid South-Africans in their time (Apartheid South-Africa having been a good friend of Israel by the way in their time too as was Pinochet’s Chile): you cannot possibly know/understand if you have not been/lived here. Right.
Aminah
What are “extremist Israeli guards? I have news for you. Those prisoners have been tried and convicted of various crimes. Some have directly planned or heeled implement terror attacks. They are not hidden away. The Red Cross and human rights groups have access to them. Now I am sure you recall the imprisonment of Gilad Shalit by Hamas. he had no access to the Red Cross and was kept isolated and malnourished. Now I suggest you turn your eyes to Syria where prisoners are tortured, murdered, dismembered and then dumped on the street. You want brutality, the Arab world has plenty of examples that would make the Gestapo proud?
@Abigail,
Yu seem to have chased the path of a well worn narrative. I suggest to anyone who makes a comparison to South African Apartheid. has proven to be intellectually dishonest. Known anti Semite, Jimmy Carter, tried going down that path and backed off with an apology. Perhaps you should, take a look at the definition of Apartheid and then look at Israel. Arab citizens of Israel are fully engaged in society politically and economically. They are studying alongside Jews in universities, ride the sam buses and have political parties represented in Knesset. As for the West Bank, Palestinian refusal to honestly engage in a peace process has been a barrier to Palestinian statehood. Hamas would undermine any attempt at peace.
As for past relations with Apartheid SA. Well there were quite a few nations that had close relations with South Africa including the Soviet Union and the UK. Singling out Israel is…well you know. Chile under Pinochet also had lots of close friends around the world. You left out calling israelis “:ZioNazis”. But for choice is to demonize Israel as the last hold out of evil in the world. It seems that in your eyes, its elimination would solve all the worlds ills. i have news for you and your friends, a Jewish homeland that has the full right to exist will not perish because of your petty agenda.
BTW, I am a proud veteran of the IDF and I do favor giving up much of the West Bank.
//Those prisoners have been tried and convicted of various crimes//
Actually, “don,” many of those prisoners are being held in “administrative detention” without charge, much less trial or conviction.
Call them POW’s when have access to the Red Cross.Many of the poisoners recently released had a colorful collection of crimes that cost innocent lives
Got some of those prisoner back who were exchanged for Shalit.
http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=274618