BS"D
*************
"BDS, Army-style: Blackmail, Degrade -- & Silence"
Israeli Army Brass BLACKMAILING Lital bas Miriam:
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Accept SIX MONTHS of Military Jail Without a Fight -- or Face Years in Jail in Without A Fair Trial
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The Crusade to Terrorize Other Girls Into Army Enlistment Escalates Dramatically
17 Shvat, 5780 °° Feb. 12, '20, (v.4)
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Refusenik Updates:
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LITAL BAS MIRIAM:
~~~
2. On Tuesday, Feb. 4, Lital
had yet another military court hearing. Chillingly, the prosecution
(i.e., the Army) wanted to hit her with an extraordinarily brutal
sentence. Just how long? Reportedly, the Army wants to imprison Lital
not - G-d forbid - for days, weeks, or even months -- but for two YEARS!
We are informed by someone in the know that this is no ploy; the Army
is apparently "out for blood." (It is our duty to ensure that it's not
her blood - or that of any innocent person - that they get.)
3.
An important question here is: why is the Israeli Army trying to
impose such a draconian punishment on this non-violent, 26 y/o "threat
to national security?" Granted, according to the Army, Lital is
long-term "draft-dodger," [sic] -- being "absent for years" from the
military - in which enlistment is strictly prohibited by Jewish Law, to
the extent we are all required to give up our lives to ensure that girls
are not drafted (as the Brisker Rov OB"M so famously clarified). But
why a sentence so extraordinary brutal?
4.
Clearly, the extraordinary length of the desired sentence appears to
be indicative of the Army motivation operative here. It's not that
they're prosecuting and persecuting this young lady IN SPITE OF of her
dedication to the Torah prohibition against enlistment in the
promiscuous Israeli military. In that case, they would temper their
vindictiveness with a veneer of token lucidity. Rather, it's precisely
BECAUSE of her steadfast dedication to safeguarding her purity and her
religious values that the Israeli Army is persecuting Lital.
Moreover,
inasmuch as Lital reportedly just recently received her military
"service" exemption, they're not expecting her to enlist. Thus, this
doesn't seem to be the usual direct choice between military
incarceration and military officer exploitation. This particular
military court injustice is purely to punish Lital for her refusal to
yield to the Army's dictates.
[Be
aware that perhaps over a fifth of the estimated 55-60(!) girls now
incarcerated in Israeli military prisons are conscripts imprisoned
because they wanted to shift to alternative positions in the Army. When
they finish their sentence, they often get what they want. Contrast
that treatment with the antireligious abuse of girls who are religious
objectors.]
5.
Moreover, not only does the Army aim to break Lital, they also want to
terrorize the many, many other girls and women standing up to the
Army's crusade to force women into the immoral, exploitative military.
Clearly, this young lady has been targeted to serve as a sacrificial lamb, a "Korban,"
to "Maitav" (the Draft Office), in order to strike terror into the
hearts of even some of the strongest, most devoted girls and women
resisting the Army draft. The Army message to those girls is: give
up and enlist to "serve the country" (or: serve the male officers in
the IDF as "Mizron Tzahali") - or else - face severe military injustice.
6.
That's not all. At that same proceeding, the military judge "directed"
the prosecution to strike a "compromise" with the defense. That
"compromise" reportedly involves imposing a "settlement" on Lital - that
requires she agree to a staggering SIX MONTHS in Military Prison,
without even allowing her a chance to fight for her religious and human
rights in court.
7.
In essence, this "compromise offer" itself is judicial blackmail:
either agree to a half a year without fighting for your rights, or else
face the tyranny of two years in Military Prison, all without the chance
to a fair fight in court (see posts above).
Moreover,
the litany of illicit and illegal actions of the Draft Office, and the
Prison System, all provide additional clarification as to why the
government is blackmailing Lital into giving up before even beginning
her legal battle in earnest: they don't want all of their illegalities
and corruption involved in this case to be exposed to the Free World. In
other words, the government is acting like guilty bullies normally act:
they terrorize the victim commensurate with their guilt, in order to
cover it up. (This pattern of malfeasance should be familiar to those
who've dealt with child molesters and similar criminals.)
Plea-deals often make sense - for guilty people. But this is plain judicial tyranny.
8.
Above all, this travesty is a clear case of the Army terrorizing an
innocent religious woman for remaining steadfast in her adherence to the
Torah prohibition against enlistment in the immoral, exploitative
military. If this abomination would be perpetrated anywhere else in the
world, we'd call it what it is: Jew-Hatred, of the worst sort.
It's noteworthy that Lital is a "Bas-Cohen" (the daughter of a Cohen, descending from priestly lineage). The last
time the precursors of the ruling antireligious Hellenistic
Establishment tried forcing a Bas Cohen into a similarly repugnant
arrangement - with a Greek officer ("Hegmon") - over 2,100 years ago -
we procured a new Holiday (Chanukah). That occurred in the wake of the
bloody Civil War triggered by the priestly brothers of Yehudis. Her
brothers, and the many Jews who joined them, opted to fight, and
ultimately defeat the enemy, rather than let their sisters and daughters
be treated as "Miz'ron Yevani." [Realize that one female
Army-abuse-victim reported that a high-level IDF officer candidly
informed her that "girls in the Army are Miz'ron Tzahali." See #21,
below.]
9.
As explained in previous posts, all of this torment struck Lital in
the wake of her naively submitting to a Religiosity Interview ("Rayon
Dat") over seven years ago, around the the time she finished school (in
addition to submitting her religiosity certification, her "tatzhir
dat"). At that time, the (female) Draft Officer tripped Lital up on a
question about the Reading of the Torah, something from which women are
generally exempt, by Jewish Law. It was a question that should not have
even been asked. At this time, it appears that under the pretext of that
question - and perhaps certain additional, similarly irrelevant queries
- "Maitav" (the Draft Office) refused to provide Lital the religious
exemption to which she was entitled. (See also:
10.
Subsequently, Lital reportedly got mixed messages, and never got a
conclusive picture of her final draft status. Like thousands of other
girls, she never got any documentation to clarify her draft status one
way or the other.
Additionally, Lital was apparently misled by Border Police. Her family claims that immediately prior to her surprise-arrest at the airport in mid-January, she repeatedly checked with Israeli Border Police. They
told her that she's ok to travel, without concern of her name being on
the list of non-exempted girls. When she arrived at the airport, they
arrested her, to the shock of her parents.
Did Israeli Border Police intentionally
give Lital misinformation to ambush her? If so, that would explain why
the Army consistently refuses to comply with the government requirement
that the Army notify the girls shortly after they submit their
religiosity certification. This way, they can get the girls to drop
their guard, and arrest them anytime the opportunity presents itself
(e.g. a traffic infraction). Thereby, the Army can use the threat of
extended incarceration in the brutal military prison environment as
blackmail - to force religious girls into enlisting, all in flagrant
violation of the Torah.
11.
To top it all off, it was reported that Lital's right of communication
(already severely limited) has been [illegally] impeded by the prison
authorities, on multiple occasions. How can Lital possibly ensure a
semblance of a fair hearing - especially when the stakes are so
monumental - without the ability to communicate with whomever she needs
to?
12. Lital's next hearing was set to be held Monday, Feb. 10, but was adjourned until later next week.
Please
daven for Lital bas Miriam. We hope that her attorney stands strong
against the government terror, and refuses to accept the six month
extortion-sentence. The Israeli government should be put on notice that
this will not pass without a vibrant public fight.
13.
The frum media as well need be put on notice that this barbaric,
anti-Jewish abuse of an innocent young lady cannot be allowed to
continue. In addition, Torah Sages in the past had helped organize
womens' demonstrations against the government, over the drafting of
girls. Now, it is so much more necessary, and so much more technically
feasible.
~~~~~~~~~~
14.
Shockingly, there are currently approximately 55-60 girls and women
imprisoned in Israeli Military Prison. True, not every imprisoned girl
is necessarily in jail for refusing to serve in the Army. Some are
incarcerated for other reasons (e.g., some seek to be shifted to an
alternative position in the military, and many of those would probably
prefer to opt out of the Army altogether if we would be able to ensure
their success). But, regardless, the Israeli government has no right to
enlist females; therefore they has no right to impose Army regimen on
them. All the more so, they have no right to impose military
incarceration. (Also be aware that the girls in jail are encouraged to
snitch on each other, in return for benefits and better conditions. So
some girls may be languishing in prison because of what a fellow inmate
was encouraged to "report.")
~~~~~~
15.
Ta'i ["Ta-ee"] bas Oshrah had been imprisoned in Military Prison Six
in the North for over a week for her refusal to enlist in the Army. B"H
she was just released, but without a military service exemption.
16. Another girl, Mai, was reportedly just released from Military Prison Four about a week ago, B"H.
17.
Another religious girl, Tal-Yah bas Liz, continues to languish in
Military Prison Four for her refusal to serve in the Army. So far, she's
been suffering there for an outrageous amount of time, approximately
EIGHT weeks total. We are informed that she urgently needs tefillos and
vibrant public advocacy.
18.
Another religious girl, an immigrant from France, Rivka No'a bas
Yehudis, has been similarly incarcerated for an outrageous amount of
time, (also) approaching TWO MONTHS, in Military Prison Six. She was
notified that she will get an exemption from Army service, BE"H.
However, despite that exemption, they insist on keeping her imprisoned
until she completes the 12-day punitive sentence handed up Jan. 30.
(She was due to be released this week.)
Bear
in mind that even though Rivka No'a ostensibly submitted her
religiosity certification late, there is additional reason to have
waived that minor technical infraction: she is much needed to care for
her disabled father. Her father was severely injured in a car-crash two
years ago, and still cannot walk or properly function on his own.
This
persecution of girls with seriously ill parents or siblings is a
consistently recurring theme in the narrative of female military
incarceration in Israel. It's frequency really warrants a dedicated
expose, perhaps entitled "Government Klinghoffer Syndrome." Other
examples, all involving additional, grotesque human rights abuses,
include:
° Lital bas Miriam, who has a very ill brother;
°
Avigail Leah Houseband (who finally received her exemption without
compromising with the IDF demand for a Rayon Dat) has a very ill mother
(Rus Ester Leemor bas Tzipora, a baalas teshuva who was previously an
IAF captain), who heroically fought for her daughter's spiritual safety
despite her deteriorating condition;
°
Ziva bas Mazal, a religious Ethiopian girl, to whom the Army continues
to refuse a religious exemption, without even a pretext of denial of
her religiosity;
° the Bnos Beruria R. daughters, who's father, Rav Avrohom Y., has been very ill; and
°
Yuval bas Tamar, whose father had been very ill while Yuval had endured
over six months of government religious-persecution, in one of the most
repugnant, brazen, ongoing human rights abuses in the reported history
of the struggle of religious female IDF Refuseniks.
~~~~~
19. One of the outstanding questions here is:
Where
are the ostensibly rightwing and religious Knesset members? Even just
prior to a high-stakes election (a third consecutive election at that),
they cannot muster the self-interest-impelled gumption to raise a
massive alarm over these blatant and unrelenting evils, assaults against
Jewish girls that threaten the very future of the Jewish People?
20. Another question is: Has this genre of anti-religious persecution of Jewish women become the "price" that righteous Israeli
women are now expected pay - to ensure that the relentlessly-distracted
"rightwing" and religious "representatives" continue to hold onto their
over-occupied seats in the Knesset?
~~~
21. Also see:
