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| Israel jails conscientious objector Natan Blanc for tenth time | Israel jails conscientious objector Natan Blanc for tenth time |
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| A teenage conscientious objector has been jailed by an Israeli military court for the tenth time in six months for refusing to enlist for compulsory military service. Ten consecutive prison sentences for being a conscientious objector is thought to be a record in Israel. | A teenage conscientious objector has been jailed by an Israeli military court for the tenth time in six months for refusing to enlist for compulsory military service. Ten consecutive prison sentences for being a conscientious objector is thought to be a record in Israel. |
| Natan Blanc was sent on Sunday to a military prison for 28 days, the longest sentence the 19-year-old has received since he was called up last November. His refusal to serve in the army was in part prompted by what he called the "wave of aggression that swept the country" during Israel's 2008-9 war in Gaza and "a moral duty to refuse to participate" in a cycle of violence. | Natan Blanc was sent on Sunday to a military prison for 28 days, the longest sentence the 19-year-old has received since he was called up last November. His refusal to serve in the army was in part prompted by what he called the "wave of aggression that swept the country" during Israel's 2008-9 war in Gaza and "a moral duty to refuse to participate" in a cycle of violence. |
| Blanc told the Guardian last month he was willing to undertake national service in lieu of a stint in the army, but his refusal was a matter of principle. | Blanc told the Guardian last month he was willing to undertake national service in lieu of a stint in the army, but his refusal was a matter of principle. |
| "I have no idea how long this will go on for," he said. "The bad scenario is that I will be put in front of a military court and sentenced to something like a year in prison. The better scenario is that they'll get tired of this, and will let me do national service instead." | "I have no idea how long this will go on for," he said. "The bad scenario is that I will be put in front of a military court and sentenced to something like a year in prison. The better scenario is that they'll get tired of this, and will let me do national service instead." |
| Blanc's father, David, said the family had hoped there might be some movement in the military's attitude and a willingness to find an alternative to army service. The son, he said, was resigned to his new sentence and "is still as stubborn as ever although the reality is rather unrelenting. Regardless of what people think, we hope that people appreciate he's standing up for what he believes in." | Blanc's father, David, said the family had hoped there might be some movement in the military's attitude and a willingness to find an alternative to army service. The son, he said, was resigned to his new sentence and "is still as stubborn as ever although the reality is rather unrelenting. Regardless of what people think, we hope that people appreciate he's standing up for what he believes in." |
| The Israel Defence Forces said a small number of exemptions from military service were granted each year on the grounds of conscientious objection. "Civilians who do not receive exemption from the IDF but refrain from following the law face the consequences of their actions. This holds true in the case of Natan Blanc as well." | The Israel Defence Forces said a small number of exemptions from military service were granted each year on the grounds of conscientious objection. "Civilians who do not receive exemption from the IDF but refrain from following the law face the consequences of their actions. This holds true in the case of Natan Blanc as well." |
| Military service is compulsory for most Israeli school-leavers, although ultra-Orthodox Jews and Israeli Arabs are exempt. Young men spend three years in the army, and young women serve two. | Military service is compulsory for most Israeli school-leavers, although ultra-Orthodox Jews and Israeli Arabs are exempt. Young men spend three years in the army, and young women serve two. |
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