A reservist Israeli staff sergeant who is refusing army duty on political grounds has been sentenced to military prison for 28 days.
Tom Mehager told a military tribunal that he was no longer prepared to participate in the ''harassment'' of Palestinians in villages near the Rimonim checkpoint, northeast of Ram Allah.
Mehager, 27, refused to serve at the military outpost close to the Ofra settlement in the West Bank.
In an interview from his prison cell, he told Israeli military radio he was no longer prepared to carry out orders which in his opinion had ''no military value''.
After receiving his sentence, Mehager said: ''The punishment that has been handed down to me is nothing in comparison to what we are forcing on the Palestinians.''
Scores of Israelis staged a demonstration at the military checkpoint, in support of declared refuseniks - those who go on record to explain why they are refusing to join the army.
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http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/D199E7EE-EA57-421E-8F40-3FDFFF0D0F32.htmI am glad to see anyone taking a stand for peace. The soldiers that take this route should be regarded as being as brave as those that engage in combat.
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