Yesh Gvul
Information about Yesh Gvul - an Israeli peace group that has shouldered the task of supporting soldiers who refuse assignments of a repressive or aggressive nature.

Yesh Gvul ("There is a limit !") is an Israeli peace group that has shouldered the task of supporting soldiers who refuse assignments of a repressive or aggressive nature. The brutal role of the Israel Defence Force (IDF) in subjugating the Palestinian population places numerous servicemen in a grave moral and political dilemma, as they are required to enforce policies they deem illegal and immoral. The army hierarchy demands compliance, but many soldiers, whether conscripts or reservists, find that they cannot in good conscience obey the orders of their superiors.

The current Palestinian intifada is not the first instance of such a predicament. Yesh Gvul was founded in response to the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, as growing numbers of soldiers realized that the campaign, with its bloodshed and havoc, was an act of naked and futile aggression in which they wanted no part. Acting on their convictions, 168 servicemen were jailed, some repeatedly, for refusing to serve in the campaign: the actual number of refusals was far greater, but their rising numbers deterred the military authorities from prosecuting most of the refuseniks. The onset of the Palestinian intifada in 1987 prompted further refusals: the numbers imprisoned came close to 200, though here too, the army backed down from jailing many of the recalcitrant soldiers, suggesting that refusals may have been ten times more numerous. Significantly, a disproportionate ratio of refuseniks are combat officers (ranking from sergeant to major) i.e. soldiers who have served with distinction.

From its formation, Yesh Gvul set out to foster the refusal movement. Defying official intimidation - including intense surveillance by the police and security services - the group offered counseling to soldiers wrestling with the agonizing choice between serving policies they found abhorrent, or defying military discipline. To those who elected to refuse, Yesh Gvul extended unreserved moral and material backing, ranging from financial support for families of imprisoned refuseniks, to pickets at the military prisons where they were held. Whenever a refusenik was jailed, Yesh Gvul took action to bring his protest to the public notice, as a model for the broader peace movement, and for other soldiers in a similar dilemma.

Yesh Gvul is a small group with limited resources, human and financial alike. But the unique thrust of its campaign has had an electrifying effect on the broader peace movement, which drew inspiration from the moral example set by individuals prepared to suffer for their convictions. Other peace movements confined themselves to verbal protest, stopping short at the direct challenge to conventional authority represented by refusal. But Yesh Gvul rejected the "shoot-and-cry" syndrome; its own slogan - "We don't shoot, we don't cry, and we don't serve in the occupied territories !" - made the group a spearhead of the Israeli peace movement.

With members holding a variety of political views, Yesh Gvul is not bound to any specific peace program. Its immediate aim is to put an end to the misuse of the IDF (Israel Defense Force !) for unworthy ends, and terminate the occupation. The group is united on the "two-state" solution, as the key to a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

THE DICTATES OF CONSCIENCE

An objector : "I didn't want to refuse orders. I didn't look forward to this moment. If there had been any way to avoid it, I think I would have chosen it.... But there are times when there is no other choice but to refuse. That 'no choice' is the personal aspect of refusal. My red line isn't yours, and vice versa. But traversing that red line is a surrender of your personality, your uniqueness, your values, and above all, the dictates of your conscience. I wouldn't have refused any order to serve in the territories. But I was ordered to spend three weeks escorting and guarding settlers. I was to conduct body searches on Palestinian passersby, and carry out arrests whenever necessary. If I had done that, I wouldn't have been me."

SELECTIVE REFUSAL

"Selective refusal" is a uniquely Israeli concept, though sporadic protests on similar lines have been recorded in other armies. Selective refusal applies the principles of civil disobedience, as pioneered by Mahatma Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr., to a military context. While acknowledging the legality of universal military service, it stresses the right and duty of every soldier to scrutinize the orders he receives, and reject assignments he finds morally or politically repugnant. Unlike pacifism or conscientious objection, selective refusal recognizes circumstances when force is legitimate, as in defense against external aggression, or in pursuit of national liberation from foreign tyranny. But it rejects the abuse of military might for unworthy ends, such as wars of aggression, or violent subjugation of a civilian population.

Refuseniks do not evade the consequences of their challenge to legal authority: defiance of the military hierarchy is overt and direct, accepting the painful personal consequences. Their willingness to pay the price imbues the refuseniks' protest with a moral and political effect out of all proportion to their number.

As well as inspiring the broad peace movement, refusal directly impacts policy makers, who have to take into account that the army is no tame "military machine" and its soldiers are not mere robots, "cogs in the wheel". On the admission of the then IDF commander, the rash of refusals was a key factor in inducing the army command to call off the 1982-84 Lebanon war. Further refusals during the first intifada helped convince Israeli leaders they could not crush the Palestinian uprising by military means, leading to recognition of the PLO and ushering in attempts at a political solution. In the current "al Aksa" uprising, scores of reservists have refused assignments, and for the first time, significant numbers of young conscripts have also refused to take part in official repression.

ADOPTING A REFUSENIK

Yesh Gvul's efforts on behalf of the "refuseniks" enjoy broad support in Europe and the US. Groups and individuals dedicated to a peaceful solution of the Arab-Israeli conflict have rallied to back Israelis jailed for resisting the repressive policies of their government. The support network includes synagogues and churches, veterans' organizations, progressive Jewish groups and others. The main channel of support is "adoption" of jailed refuseniks, as their names and particulars go out in our regular e-mail circulars. The adoption package includes:

Moral Support Letters, phone calls, e-mails to the refusenik's family - an enormous boost at a time of great stress.

Political Action Protests to the nearest Israeli legation, in support of the prisoner and calling for his/her release. Approaches to local media/politicians etc. to bring pressure on the IDF and the Israeli government and highlight the Israeli opposition.

Financial support Reservists on active duty get an allowance to replace their civilian salary, but jailed refuseniks are denied this support. Keren Yesh Gvul (the Yesh Gvul Fund) provides assistance as needed, approximate ly $750 US for a month in prison. Help out with checks to the order of "Keren Yesh Gvul", mailed to: PO Box 6953, Jerusalem 91068, ISRAEL.

Our broader campaign on behalf of the refuseniks also needs funds. Checks to this purpose, made out to "Yesh Gvul", mailed to the same address.

NEW LEAFLET FOR SOLDIERS

This is a translation of the current Yesh Gvul leaflet for distribution to IDF soldiers:

SOLDIER

We all want to defend our country.
We're all sick and tired of terrorism.
We all want peace.
But do our actions permit of an end to the cycle of bloodshed ?

Since 1967, Israel has ruled over 3.5 million Palestinians, running their lives by means of a forcible occupation, with continual violations of human rights.

The occupation regime has merely exacerbated Israel's security problems; at this time, it endangers the life of each one of its citizens, yours included !

SOLDIER, it's in your hands !

Ask yourself whether your actions in the course of your military service enhance national security ? Or do those actions merely fuel the enmity and the acts of violence between us and our Palestinian neighbours ?

YOU CAN STOP THE VIOLENCE SOLDIER: THE OCCUPATION BREEDS TERRORISM

When you take part in extrajudicial killings ("liquidation" in the army's terms); When you take part in demolishing residential homes; When you open fire at unarmed civilian population or residential homes; When you uproot orchards When you interdict food supplies or medical treatment -

YOU ARE TAKING PART IN ACTIONS DEFINED IN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS (SUCH AS THE FOURTH GENEVA CONVENTION) AND IN ISRAELI LAW, AS WAR CRIMES.

As far back as 40 years ago, an Israeli court ruled that a soldier is forbidden to obey a flagrantly illegal order.

Soldier - do you consider such war crimes justifiable ?

Don't acts of "liquidation" provoke suicide bombings ? Is it justifiable to demolish the homes and vandalise the property of entire families ? Can one justify the killing of children, women, old people - or, overall, of unarmed civilians ? What are the "security" grounds to justify starving entire villages and depriving the sick of medical care ?

Soldier: don't these daily acts of repression, which are part of the routine of the occupation - curfew and blockade, land confiscation, preventing people from working or studying, the run-around and humiliation at the ro adblocks and the violent searches in Palestinian homes - fuel hatred of us ?

END THE OCCUPATION - END THE CYCLE OF BLOODSHED !

SOLDIER: THE OCCUPATION CAUSES LOSS OF LIFE

Even the heads of the defence establishment concede that there is no military solution to terrorism.

"All the preventative work we've done this past year is like trying to empty out the sea with a teaspoon," a senior security official admitted. ("Haaretz", 19.12.2001)

Ami Ayalon, former head of the Shabak security police, says: "An ideology can't be killed by killing leaders."

Soldier, is there a people anywhere in the world that will not resist an occupation regime ?

If you were in the Palestinians' shoes, would you be willing to bow your head to a foreign ruler ?

Two years ago, we were convinced that the occupation of southern Lebanon was vital for our security. Twenty years ago, we were certain that our occupation of the Sinai peninsula guaranteed our security. But thanks to termination of our occupation of those areas, we have avoided shedding the blood of our soldiers.

Since the onset of the current intifada, over a thousand Israelis and Palestinians have been killed, most of them unarmed civilians taking no part in the fighting. As long as we hold on to the occupied Palestinian territo ries, we will continue to shed our own blood and that of the Palestinians.

END THE OCCUPATION - END THE BLOODSHED !

SOLDIER: THE OCCUPATION UNDERMINES OUR COUNTRY

We are all concerned for the wellbeing of the state of Israel. We all want the state to invest more in education, social services, health, and development of our infrastructure.

But to maintain the occupation, the state spends billions on upkeep of the army in the territories, on settlements, on laying bypass roads and all the rest.

The state is cutting back on civilian services to enlarge the military budget. The occupation, and the violence that it prompts, drag the economy down into recession. Investors are in flight, tourists stay away, entire sections of the economy are in collapse.

Wouldn't it be preferable to use the money to reinforce our social structures ?
Wouldn't it be preferable to channel the funds to our crumbling health and education systems ?
Is it just to neglect the aged, the handicapped and the unemployed in favour of further settlements ?

END THE OCCUPATION, PUBLIC ALLOTMENTS TO THE DISADVANTAGED, NOT THE SETTLEMENTS !

SOLDIER, THE OCCUPATION UNDERMINES THE ARMY

The occupation is harmful to the army and its soldiers. Training is called off because soldiers spend so much time on routine duty in the territories - guarding settlements, protecting highways, and forays into Palestinia n towns and villages.

Soldiers are required to serve under inhuman conditions - like the four soldiers of the armour corps who spent 234 uninterrupted hours in their tank. In order to sustain the occupation, they weren't even allowed out to re lieve themselves.

Military sources admit the occupation routine subjects soldiers to exhaustion - and exhaustion leads to a decline in fitness and causes accidents.

Wouldn't it be better to dedicate the time to the country's real defence needs ?

Ending the occupation will restore the army's combat readiness.

Wouldn't it be better to reduce the burden borne by reservists and grant conscripts better conditions ?

END THE OCCUPATION - REDUCE MILITARY SERVICE TO TWO YEARS !! CUT DOWN THE BURDEN OF RESERVE DUTY !!

SOLDIER

There are acts that decent people don't commit, even if they're given orders ! Decent people don't demolish homes; they don't kill children, women and babies; they don't starve the neighbouring people, and don't deny medi cal care to people just like you and me. Such conduct weakens our country's moral fibre.

These acts are actually harmful, even if we're told they're for "security purposes". Every "liquidation" (killing) prompts a bombing. The child you wounded today is tomorrow's terrorist. Anyone concerned for national security won't do things that fuel terrorism.

SOLDIER - IT'S IN YOUR HANDS

We don't have a surefire recipe. Make up your own mind, guided by your conscience, your feelings, your convictions. We can't take the decision for you. We can only tell you that many, very many soldiers, have said "NO !" to war crimes ! From the Lebanon war, right up to the present intifada, thousands of soldiers - conscripts and reservists - have plucked up the courage to say "NO !"

Anyone who decides to refuse, reaches that decision on his own. But when he does make up his mind, he will find us extending a helping hand, offering advice, support and help.

For those who gird on implement of war -
And that includes us -
Whether in fact,
Or by an acquiescent slap on the back,
Are propelled,
Mumbling 'necessity' or 'revenge',
Into the domain of war criminals.

Nathan Alterman, 1948

CONTACTING YESH GVUL

Address: Yesh Gvul,PO Box 6953, Jerusalem 91068, ISRAEL

Telephone: + 972 2 6250271
Fax: + 972 2 6434171
E-mail: peretz@yesh-gvul.org

Contributions can be sent to our address, or transferred to our bank account:

Yesh Gvul, Acct no. 366614. Bank Hapoalim, King George St. Branch (690), Jerusalem, Israel.

U.S. citizens: To contribute (tax deductible), funders should make a check out to "The Shefa Fund" and include the notation "Israeli Reservists Fund - Yesh Gvul" in the memo line. Checks should be sent to The Shefa Fund, 8459 Ridge Avenue, Second Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19128

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