A 20 year old draft dodger, Yonatan ben Artzi, has petitioned the Israeli Supreme Court to place his trial for evading the draft in a civilian rather than in a military court, as required by Israeli law.
Ben Artzi’s lawyers contend that their client, who claims he is a pacifist, is a social issue that must be resolved by civilian, not military courts.
Ben Artzi, who is the nephew of Finance Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, is being held in “open detention” at an Education Corps, where he’s free to move around the base.
Ben Artzi was stationed at the IDF induction center in August 2002 after the Supreme Court rejected his petition to be exempted from military service on the grounds of conscientious objection. Since then he has been convicted seven times and spent 200 days serving time in a military jail. Ben Artzi’s eighth trial was in a military court for refusing to obey orders.
Ben Artzi’s lawyers contend that their client, who claims he is a pacifist, is a social issue that must be resolved by civilian, not military courts.
Ben Artzi, who is the nephew of Finance Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, is being held in “open detention” at an Education Corps, where he’s free to move around the base.
Ben Artzi was stationed at the IDF induction center in August 2002 after the Supreme Court rejected his petition to be exempted from military service on the grounds of conscientious objection. Since then he has been convicted seven times and spent 200 days serving time in a military jail. Ben Artzi’s eighth trial was in a military court for refusing to obey orders.