Posted on 01/19/2005 1:51:48 PM PST by anotherview
Jan. 19, 2005 18:52 | Updated Jan. 19, 2005 19:18
More jail time for officers who call for refusal
By NINA GILBERT
The government is planning to stiffen the punishment for reserve officers who call on soldiers in their units to refuse to carry out orders, Justice Minister Tzippi Livni said Wednesday.
The government intends to increase the maximum penalty from six months to one-year imprisonment for using rank to encourage others not to carry out a duty.
The amendment to the Military Judicial Law is to be introduced as part of a bill that was approved in preliminary reading on Wednesday by the Knesset.
The government backed the private member's bill drafted by Shinui MK Ehud Rassabi on outlawing the abuse of rank and is to coordinate the draft of future readings with him.
The bill was approved in a 29-1 vote with support from both the Left and the Right. Agudat Yisrael MK Meir Porush opposed the proposal, whereas none of the MKs from the National Religious Party or the National Union attended the vote.
Livni said calling for refusal is already a crime today, whether committed by a soldier or a civilian. But she said that in light of the current situation in which there are "very serious" occurrences of reserve officers using their ranks to call "for the intolerable," the government decided to "send a message" by stiffening the punishment.
Rassabi said that in light of calls nowadays from both the Left and the Right to refuse to serve, it is important to stiffen the penalty.
Oohh. 6 months to a year. That'll teach em.
My thoughts exactly.
After Right of Return is passed, I'm sure the new Muslim Theocracy will let them out of jail.
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