Canadian-Israeli ‘deserter’ gets Rosh Hashanah furlough

Yana Gorelik, the 30-year old Canadian-Israeli who was imprisoned earlier this month for allegedly dodging the IDF draft, will be granted a Rosh Hashanah furlough from confinement, the Israel Prison Service announced Sunday.

She is to return to jail later this week, after the holiday.

“We thank the prison commander and the head of the military police, who liberated my client for the holidays in light of the special circumstances of her case. We will challenge their main claims in court,” said Gorelik’s attorney, Benny Koznitz.

Gorelik moved from Israel to Canada with her family at age 17 and has been back twice on visits. On September 2, she entered Israel to attend a family wedding, but was detained at Ben Gurion Airport as a deserter from the IDF.

Addressing her arrest, the IDF said that “Gorelik did not complete her exemption from military service in 2007 as requested by the IDF,” stating that the failure to do so was legally considered desertion. All children who were born in Israel and lived here until the age of 15 are required to serve in the military unless they receive an official exemption. Those who reside abroad can complete an exemption process in their local embassies.

The army said that she was incarcerated, served an indictment and judged like any other army deserter. Gorelik maintains that the Israeli consulates in both Canada and London had told her that because of her age, as displayed on her new passport, she did not need to file for an official exemption.