Good News!
by Polly Mann, WAMM
Two Israeli Soldiers Say No to Killing
In a letter to his commanding officer, dated October 11, 2000, Eyal Rozenberg, a corporal in the Israeli Defense Forces, recites the violent history of the Israeli military from its inception in l948 to the present, citing recent events: "A military that provides support for the construction of settlements in occupied territories and maintains them in the face of local popular resistance; . . . a military that wins every war while planting the seeds of the next one; . . . a military whose officers are free to ignore even its own orders without fear of judicial action by their subordinates; . . . May no one be part of it! . . . In a September meeting my commanding officer said something that has stayed with me. He said that the principle that must guide me is whether, at the end of the day, when I look at my face in the mirror, I can accept what I see. As I continue working for you while you slaughter a captured people, I am living a lie, and this lie will reflect upon me from that mirror." The current status of Rozenberg's case is unknown.
On March 27, 2001 the "Movement for the Civil-ization of Israeli Society" supported and accompanied pacifist Yinnon Hiller to the High Court of Justice. Standing in front of three judges, Hiller sought redress from the army's refusal to exempt him from military service. At one point, Judge Engelirad asked the state counsel how the state could justify the discrimination between women (who are allowed exemptions on grounds of conscience) and men (who are not). The judges' decision will be given at a later date.
Notre Dame Students Challenge ROTC on Campus
Thirty student members of the Catholic peace organization Pax Christi demonstrated with signs and crosses at the annual presidential review of Notre Dame's 34l Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets. In a letter addressed to ROTC cadets and published in the school newspaper, Pax Christi said, "You are being trained for the U.S. military, and this organization has consistently disregarded teachings of Jesus and the church . . . The blessing that occurs with this ceremony . . . implies that the ROTC is-at minimum-in harmony with the mission of the Catholic Church." Too often, concluded the letter, the U.S. military has "fought on the side of injustice, against the poor and powerless."
University of Iowa "Students Against Sweatshops" Savor Victory
The University of Iowa has canceled 176 licenses with apparel companies that either failed to disclose the location of their factories or sign the school's code of conduct, which was adopted after student protests last spring.
New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark Decreases Military Spending
New Zealand will retire 17 aging bombers and 17 jet trainers while cutting about 700 air force personnel. The navy will lose half its large warships and focus more on coastal and fisheries protection with patrol boats.
Minnesota Beet Farmers Oppose "Free Trade"
Minnesota beet farmers have become educated about so-called "free trade," recognizing it is not a boon, but a threat to U.S. farmers. Unfortunately, the enlightenment may have come too late. Sugar beet prices have hit a new low due to NAFTA regulations that permit unlimited imports of Mexican sugar.