conscientious objerctor Shmuel Baron's story.

["David Raban" <draban at pob.huji.ac.il>]

 Dear firends,

Shmoel Barun is  aconscientious objector, who has spend more than 120 days
in prion until now, in adittion to several months of detentions. i bring
here his moving story, in his own words.
Shmuel is now back at the training center. he is likely to be sent again to
prison soon.
David Raban,
New Profile.



My name is Shmuel Barun, military id. 39154240. on  18.3.2002 I was drafted
into the IDF and since then I'm in a constant struggle with the army. 365
days of shifting between detention, grounding, desertion, prison. 365 days
during which I hardly saw my home, my family, and the world outside of the
army.

By my nature I am a pacifist. I do not believe in any form of violence,
physical or verbal, and so I knew I was going to refuse to go to the
occupied territories, or to be a combat soldier, or to be a "combat
supporting" soldier, but still, I wanted to serve  my country. Luckily, the
army approached me while I was in high school and offered me a position in
the intelligence branch as a programmer. I went through a long chain of
interviews and exams, which lasted 8 months, and I was told that I was
accepted into that position. I was asked to sigh for KEVA (an extra year or
more, for which one gets paid). This service was supposed to be in the
center of Israel, without uniform, and without handling weapons or the use
of force of any kind. I thought my worries were over. My draft date was
postponed by three months so I can attend an intelligence course in time. A
week before that date I got a letter with said that due to certain
considerations of the unit, it was decided that I would not be sent there.
They didn't say were I was going or why I was rejected. I Tried to find out
many times at the induction center and the unit itself but no one gave me
an answer. The drafting date was postponed by three months more, until
March 2002.
During the long period of time since high school until the drafting, my
belief that our country is making a mistake grew stronger. That what the
army is doing in the OT's, the abuse of force, abuse of innocent civilians,
and the oppression of an other people, is a grave mistake, and contrary to
anything I was brought up to believe in. I was brought up in a home where
violence was completely forbidden, and strongly condemned. I was taught to
believe that one must use his brain to solve conflicts, and not force.  I
will not, under any circumstances use force against any human being, and I
will not support an organization that does such things.
At 18.3.2002 I went to the induction center, and after I drafted I was told
I am going to be sent to a training center for combat engineering, and that
I'm destined for a combat training. I refused to go on the bus,was put in
detention for the whole day, by the end of which I was tried for refusing
orders. I was afraid of going to prison, and an officer scared me by saying
that I will have a criminal record because of this, and other kind of
strange inventions. I   agreed to go and got 14 days on probation. She (the
officer) told me, after I explained her my problems, that the IDF will help
me and I believed her. Only after I got to the training place I realized
how bitter my mistake was.
I tired to explain the staff there my problems, but I was ignored and dealt
with with contempt. I refused to take a weapon, and refused to join the
training at all. I went through a series of groundings and detentions, by
the end of the four months there the staff made me work in kitchen and
cleaning jobs. I hardly saw my home. There was one time when I was grounded
to the base for 45 days straight, because I wouldn't take a gun. During
these 4 months I was offered to become a "combat support" soldier, but I
refused, and I tried to explain to all the staff and officers that I cannot
be such a soldier. I tried to get posted to a new position, one that does
not involve handling weapons or the use of force, and does not include
serving in the OT's, but my requests met with rejection and a continuous
array of trials. After spending 2 months at the training base, the base
commander interviewed me. He threatened me that if I continue refusing he
will send me to prison again and again and will never release me or change
my post to a non combat one. I tried to talk to every possible person: the
metal health officer, and all the other people that are supposed to help
with such cases, repeated talks with the officer in charge, but all my
requests were refused. I was tried again and again for refusing to take a
weapon and to join the training.
During my stay at that place, I had the chance to talk to combat soldiers
who came there to undergo some training., I was stricken by  The horror
stories I heard form them, about how they mistreat Palestinians, and the
tales of so called "bravery" they heard form their friends in other units,
the enthusiasm they showed when they told there  stories, the rolling
laughter ,and slowly my belief grew stronger that the IDF is making a grave
mistake in the OT's. I became very Angry at the state, which allows these
things to happen, but still I wanted to serve my country, in a way that
will have nothing to do with these actions.
After  4 months of trials and hard labor, 4 months of  disrespect and
contempt, I was told I am going again to a combat training on August 2002,
to 4 more such months. I didn't know what to do and to whom I can turn for
help, I lost hope and I stayed home. I didn't go back for two and a half
months, and during that time I caught up with the world news, and
especially the news from home, which I wasn't able to get at the training
center. The horrible images and news of the violence on the OT's, and
conversations with my close friends, have helped me to realize that will no
support In any way an organization like the IDF, not in a non-combat
position, or in any other position. I thought about it for 2.5 months and I
made my decision that will not, under any circumstances serve in the army
of Israeli occupation, which brutally oppresses the Palestinian people, and
which gives it's soldiers a free hand to humiliate and abuse innocent
civilians.
I turned myself in to prison 4, was court martialed and sentenced to 52
days. During my stay in prison I met other CO's, as well as other combat
soldiers spending time for abuse or for using excessive force against
Palestinians. After many conversations with these people my belief that I'm
doing the right thing grew even stronger and I decided to take it all the
way through. I gave back to the prison guards my uniform and military i.d.
card, and was put in the isolation ward. The prison commander has added 28
days more to my original sentence (a total of 80 days) for my refusal to
wear a uniform. Most of that sentence I spent in the isolation wards of
prisons 4 & 6, and I was subject to mistreatment, abuse, shouting and
living conditions that are worse that those of murderers and rapists.
During that time I refused to work or do anything, which is useful to the
army. And for that I was tried over and over.
 After my sentence was over I went back into the training center, wearing
civilian clothes and with a clear mind and conscience , knowing fully well
that I am going to refuse to be a part of the IDF, and that I am willing to
suffer the consequences of this refusal. I explained to the commanders were
things stood with me, and was answered with a humiliating attitude. They
refused to let me eat until I wear a uniform, and only by complaining to
the local "city officer" did I finally get some food. I was tried to 14
days im prison, which I spent at the isolation ward of prison 4.  when that
period was over I went back to the base, was sentenced again to 28 days for
refusing to wear  a uniform and to carry a gun. I  Spent those days in the
isolation ward as well. Now I am about to return to the base, to be tired
again. to go back to the isolation ward, and so on.

When will this misery end? Is one year of torture not enough to understand
that a person will not serve in the army, no matter how hard the army will
try to break or ruin him? I already spent a total of 120 days in prison,
And the end is not in sight. Is there no one who can solve my problem?
Doesn't anyone care about the yearlong suffering I went through?
I demand to see the  "unsuitability committee" , so I can finally end the
torture  and all these attempts to break my spirit, which ruin my life, and
the lives of other young men who refuse to serve in the army for reasons of
conscience, and spend long and hard periods of imprisonment in military
prisons.
When will this end?

Shmuel Barun.

Comments:
-"combat support": soldiers who are at the front assisting combat soldiers,
but do not fight themselves, such as drivers.
-"city officer": every city has an army officer through which the public
and families of soldiers can reach the army
-"unsuitablility committee": this committee exempts soldiers form servise,
because they are "not suitable" for military service. Usually CO's got
exempt this way, but during the past seven month the army refuses to let
CO's access to this committee, therefore leaving them with no route out of
the army.
D.R.