Israeli Consulate Rally: International Conscientious Objectors' Day:

May 15 International Conscientious Objectors' Day: Free the Israeli Refuseniks! End the Occupation! Free Illegally Detained Palestinians! Join us on May 15, 2003 for a Rally and Press Conference in front of Israeli Consulates Internationally! In San Francisco: May 15, 2003 456 Montgomery Street 12 Noon Israeli Conscientious Objectors proclaim, "We will no longer help to dominate, expel, starve and humiliate an entire people." The Situation: The U.S. war on Iraq and the escalating violence in Palestine are all part of the same ongoing war waged for economic gain and political control at the price of enormous human suffering. The conscientious objector movement links Palestinians, Israelis, Jewish Americans, youth, and the antiwar movement; uniting and strengthening our movement with the power of a young person's refusal to fight an unjust war. Israeli reservists and high school seniors are refusing to serve in the Occupied Territories and oppress the Palestinian people. Some are refusing to serve in the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) altogether. It is estimated that since the 29th of March 2002, 15,000 Palestinians have been detained, 5,270 of whom remain in prison. Of these, 1,140 Palestinians are under administrative detention meaning they have not had a trial, and are imprisoned without charges being brought against them. 224 Palestinian children are currently held in Israeli prisons and detention centers inside Israel and in the West Bank (B'tselem, The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories). Israeli Conscientious objectors have declared, ¡°We will no longer help to dominate, expel, starve and humiliate an entire people." Yet, for this they are being abused and imprisoned and their democratic rights denied. In Israel, six refuseniks are awaiting trial in late May in front of a military court. They face three-year prison sentences. In addition, six new objectors have just recently been jailed. On April 1, 2003, U.S. marine Stephen Funk publicly declared his conscientious objection to the war on Iraq, "I refuse to kill¡­ it is impossible to achieve peace through violence." Calls to the GI Rights Hotline have doubled since 2002. The refusenik movement is growing and subsequently these peace activists are being treated with harsher and harsher consequences. Their courage, their willingness to speak out publicly at great risk to themselves, has breathed new life into the Israeli peace movement. But conscientious objectors in Israel, the U.S. and throughout the world urgently need our support. Join us in sending a message to the Israeli and U.S. governments that we will not stand by while the brutality of occupation continues and those who call for peace are imprisoned. ---------- Join us, refuseniks and local peace activists, in bringing our petition to Israeli consulates on May 15, International Conscientious Objectors' Day: We demand, that all refuseniks be immediately freed! We demand, that Israel recognize conscientious objection as a democratic right, We demand, a full and unconditional withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Occupied Territories. We demand, the release of all illegally detained Palestinians. These actions in the United States have been sponsored by: * Revolution Youth * Yesh Gvul * A Jewish Voice for Peace * Global Exchange * International Solidarity Movement Support Group * TIKKUN Community * Middle East Children's Alliance * War Resisters League West * Bay Area United for Peace and Justice * Not In Our Name- Bay Area * Refusenik Parents' Forum * Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors * Tzedek * Freedom Socialist Party * Socialist Organizer * Bay Area United Against War For Resources & Updates on the May 15th protest action, please visit: www.refusersolidarity.net & www.wri-irg.org