On August 25th 2008 I woke up earlier than usual...
On August 25th 2008 I woke up earlier than usual. At 7:30 am we had to be on a bus, making our way to the Induction Base close to Tel Aviv. A young woman, Sahar Vardi (age 18) was there with her father to enter the base on the date she was ordered, in ordered to refuse military service. We were there to support her and protest against the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the enlistment of youngsters to serve it. Sahar is the third conscientious objector to be imprisoned among a new group of high school seniors, who signed a collective declaration of refusal to serve in the Israeli army of occupation.
In her personal refusal statement, she wrote: "I have been to the occupied Palestinian territories many times, and even though I realize that the soldier at the checkpoint is not responsible for the wretched policy of the oppressor towards civilians, I am unable to relieve that soldier of responsibility for his conduct ... I mean the human responsibility of not causing another human being to suffer."
There was something encouraging and dis-encouraging at once, in this protest and solidarity demonstration we held at the gates of the Induction Base. It was encouraging to support a movement of 18 years old women and men taking political responsibility. This is not easy, given our reality in which high school seniors choose their military track just like American or European middle and upper class kids choose their college track.
It was dis-encouraging because as we stood there supporting refusniks, dozens of boys and girls entered the base, accompanied by their parents and grandparents, friends and little brothers and sisters, with the aim to enlist. The feelings I can remember from standing there, in just one of our countless demonstrations, are anger and sadness. I felt anger for the blindness and collaboration of these people with the destruction of other people's lives, as well as their own. Sadness, for what this military instrument of the government does to people, for the suffering, death and destruction it will continue bringing.
Almost three months before in Bethlehem, two girls even younger than Sahar, Salwah Salah (16) and Sara Siureh (16) were taken by force by Israeli soldiers from their homes, into administrative detention. They are still held in Damun prison, without charge or trial, and administrative detention orders can be renewed indefinitely. Both were taken from home by female soldiers – women few years older than them, just like the girls we have seen two weeks ago, happily entering military base to join the Israeli Defense Forces.
This is the first time girls under the age of 18 are taken into administrative detention. It has also motivated us in the Coalition of Women for Peace to re-focus our efforts on the struggle for freedom for political prisoners. Updates on our work will be posted on our website (which is now being re-constructed): http://www.coalitionofwomen.org
For additional information about Salwah and Sara and about administrative detentions, please see: http://www.wofpp.org/english/urgent.html
Puss
