Courage to Refuse Update

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_{Last update - 00:39 16/05/2003}

Reservist's group: IDF easing its policy on jailing refuseniks

_{By Natan Guttman, Haaretz Correspondent, Itim and the
Associated Press}

The number of reserve soldiers jailed for refusing to serve in the West Bank and Gaza Strip has dropped drastically recently, and a group representing them says that the military has quietly softened its policy.

A military spokesman denied that there was a change in regulations and said that soldiers were not being released from serving in the territories.

But the group Courage to Refuse, which encourages Israeli reservists not to serve over the Green Line, said Thursday that while 230 of the "refuseniks" were sent to army prisons between January 2002 and February 2003, the number has since dropped to one.

"We believe that army has decided to change its policy," said Michael Sfard, a group spokesman. "It now believes that the best way to deal with the refusal phenomenon is to quiet it down by not letting it happen."

Since the outbreak of the intifada in September 2000, some 550 Israeli reservists have publicly declared their refusal to serve in the territories.

Jewish groups demonstrate opposite Israel consuls abroad
Jewish groups demonstrated opposite five Israeli consulates in the United States and Canada on Thursday in support of refusing to serve in the territories, while Courage to Refuse held a rally of its own in Tel Aviv.

The demonstrators at the overseas rallies were addressed by several refuseniks who now live in the U.S. In addition, letters from reservists who have been jailed for their refusal to serve were read out.

The Tel Aviv event, according to the group's leaders, was meant to explain the reservists' refusal to serve to the general public here in Israel. In consisted mainly of testimony from group members about their past service in the territories, as well as testimony from those who have done jail time for refusing to serve.

In addition to the 550 reservists who have signed the movement's open letter, some 330 university professors have thus far signed a letter of support for the movement.

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