New Profile

New Profile (פרופיל חדש‎) is a movement for transforming Israeli society into a "civilian" one ("חברה אזרחית‎" – a term recently coined by parts of the Israeli left wing to highlight their view of the present society as "recruited" or "militarized"). New Profile is an associated organization of War Resisters' International (WRI). It is a voluntary organization that acts against the compulsory law of military enlistment and supports people who refuse to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces. New Profile is a feminist organization and most of its activists are women. It was founded in 1998, among others by Rela Mazali.^[1]

Objectives

• Reducing the militarism in Israeli society.
• Resisting the Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
• Reducing the stigma of profile 21.
• Cancelling the law of compulsory enlistment to the Israeli military.
• Helping refuseniks or people who don't enlist in the army for other reasons.
• Supporting refuseniks who are in army prison because of their refusal to enlist in the army or serve in the Occupied Territories.
• Offering an alternative discourse to the public.

Legal proceedings and criminal investigation

In September 2008, Israeli Attorney General, Menachem Mazuz, ordered the police to open a criminal investigation against New Profile because of allegations of "incitement to draft dodging" and helping people secure exemptions fraudulently.^[2]

On April 26, 2009, eight New Profile activists were detained and the organization's computers were confiscated.^[3]

See also

• Coalition of Women for a Just Peace
• Refusal to serve in the IDF
• Sarvanim
• Profile 21