-Caveat Lector- AP International 8/1/01 Netanyahu's Nephew Makes Appeal by MARK LAVIE Associated Press Writer JERUSALEM (AP) -- A nephew of ex-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a hard-line politician with a military background, has appealed to Israel's Supreme Court for conscientious objector status. Yonatan Ben-Artzi, a teen-ager facing the draft like all Israeli 18-year-olds, told Israel television Wednesday that he is opposed to all armies, ''and I don't want to be a part of a violent organization like an army.'' Ben-Artzi's father is a brother of Netanyahu's wife Sara. Netanyahu, who served in the elite commando unit called Sayeret Matkal during his army years, has been calling for stiff military measures against the Palestinians in response to 10 months of Palestinian-Israeli fighting. Netanyahu's older brother, Yonatan, was a commander of a 1976 Sayeret Matkal mission to rescue passengers from a hijacked airliner in Entebbe, Uganda. Yonatan Netanyahu was the only Israeli killed in the operation. All Israeli 18-year-olds are liable for compulsory military service. Men serve a minimum of three years and women 21 months. Then most men are required to do yearly reserve duty, some into their late 40s. However, Ultra-Orthodox rabbinical students have always received draft exemptions. While there are only 17 conscientious objectors in Israel, the overall phenomenon of skipping army service is growing, though it was all but unheard of a generation ago among mainstream Israelis. Army figures show that 22 percent of the current class of 18-year-old Israelis are not serving. About 8.5 percent have religious exemptions, while the others have medical and other deferments. However, it is no longer impossible for a draftee to persuade army recruiters to respect his desire not to serve, a step that would have resulted in social ostracism even a decade ago. Ben-Artzi said neither Netanyahu nor his wife had talked to him about his decision to try for conscientious objector status. He said that was not important. ''I think it's important to send a message to the other 6 million citizens, besides him, that they should be open to this option,'' he said. Asked what would happen if all Israelis adopted his views and the army ceased to exist, Ben-Artzi said that in the modern age of ''CNN and the Internet,'' Arab armies would not attack Israel. <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om