Arab member of Knesset, Issam Makhoul, from the Hadash-Ta’al party, said that there is no possible comparison between those who reject the occupation, and those who reject to end it.
The statements of Makhoul came when he visited Prison 4, near al-Ramleh, and met with three refuseniks, who reject to serve in the occupation army for conscious reasons.   ÂÂ
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Makhoul met with the Israeli refuseniks Misha Hadar, Alex Kone, and Eyal Barami, but could not meet with Wisan Qabalan, an Arab refusenik, since he was moved to Military Prison Nr. 6.
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Makhoul said that the refuseniks are the heroes of the Israeli society, and its solid base to end the occupation and achieve a just and real peace.
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Also, Makhoul listened to the complaints of the refuseniks who told him that in spite of their difficult conditions, they are persistent to end the occupation and create the needed awareness in the Israeli society to reject the occupation.
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“The refuseniks near external support, a support which is out of the prison yard, they need solidarity with their cause and beliefs”, Makhoul said.
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Makhoul praised the role refuseniks play in the ongoing struggle against the occupation, and said that some parties are trying to shift of the focus on the disengagement plan, as the final step towards ending the occupation, while in fact it is still present in the West Bank and east of Jerusalem, with ongoing settlement activities.
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Makhoul added the peace supporters in Israel should intensify their efforts in order to counter “the continuous crimes carried out by the army in the Palestinian occupied territories”, and increase their support and solidarity with the ‘conscious refuseniks” who are imprisoned because they reject the occupation.
