Press Releases 

Jail watch fot Conscientious Objector Hilel Garmy


A support demonstration for Conscientious Objector Hillel Garmi was held on the mountain above Military Prison 6 at Atlit, south of Haifa, today Saturday Nov. 24 at 12:30.

As is common for Conscientious Objectors in Israel, Hillel Grami is being jailed again and again for short prison terms of about a month each. Having already undergone six such terms, he is now getting to a cumulative 100 days of imprisonment.

There is no legal limit to the times the military authorities can repeat this process – in theory, it can go on indefinitely. In practice, the army has in past cases shown itself sensitive to protests in Israel and abroad, eventually setting free Conscientious Objectors who had shown themselves determined not to enlist.

It is to be hoped that so it will prove also in Hillel Grami’s case. For his part, Hillel – who believes in nonviolent resistance to the occupation and has from prison corresponded with Palestinian organizers of the Gaza Strip border marches - is determined not to join an army of occupation, however long he will have to remain behind bars.

Dozens of activists climbed the mountain overlooking the military prison, from where our protest was visible – and audible – to prisoners and prison guards.

We went there to protest Hillel Grami’s detention and the attempt to compel him to take part in an oppression which is contrary to his basic values. We also demonstrated to protest against the continued occupation and brutal oppression of the Palestinian people. Hillel refuses to take part in that oppression, and we fully support his act.

Hillel joins the honorable roll of many earlier activists who refused to enlist and take part in the occupation. They are supported by “Mesrarvot” (Refusers’ Network), and "Yesh Gvul" (There is a Border/There is a Limit)

"Yesh Gvul" was established at the beginning of the First Lebanon War in 1982 - when a petition of about 3,000 reserve soldiers, declaring their refusal to take part in the invasion of Lebanon, was submitted to the then Prime Minister and Defense Minister. Ever since, the movement acts in three dimensions: personal support for the refuseniks, political action as a movement of objectors in the struggle to end the occupation and public education in order to bring about a social change.

Contact: Dorit +972-(0)52-4850258

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Inline strong start-string without end-string.

System Message: WARNING/2 (<string>, line 22); backlink

Inline emphasis start-string without end-string.

Facebook event

https://www.facebook.com/events/2243995062549983/

Links to earlier statements by Hillel Grami

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13mP_KZR8S8

https://972mag.com/we-all-live-under-one-undemocratic-system-so-we-must-struggle-together/137988/

https://www.wri-irg.org/en/programmes/rrtk/co-action-alert/2018/israel-hilel-garmi-imprisoned-again-0

https://www.timesofisrael.com/dozens-of-12th-graders-to-defy-draft-over-oppression-of-palestinians/

https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-exercising-the-privilege-of-going-to-jail-1.6358832