No information related specifically to the protection offered to an ethnic Russian who received death threats and was harassed by a superior army officer could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints for this Response. However, the following information may be of interest.

For the first time, in December 2003, the Israeli army issued advice to soldiers in the form of a booklet in order to prevent the sexual harassment of new recruits in the army (AFP 31 Dec. 2003). According to the guide, “[t]he army will help you if you are [a] victim of violence or sexual harassment” (ibid.). Sexual relations between superiors and their subordinates are forbidden by army regulations (ibid.).

For information on the rights of soldiers in the army, please consult the attached documents and the Website for the Soldier’s Rights Commissioner of the Israeli Armed Forces at http://www.idf.il/english/organization/nakhal/index.stm.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Agence France Presse (AFP). 31 December 2003. “Israeli Army Counsels New Recruits on Sexual Harassment.” (Dialog)

Israel. 2003. Israeli Armed Forces. Soldiers’ Rights Commissioner. “The Commissioner—Meaning of the Year 2002 and Contents of the Report.” http://www.idf.il/english/organization/nakhal/foreword.stm [Accessed 8 Mar. 2004], 3 pp.

_____. 2003. Israeli Armed Forces. Soldiers’ Rights Commissioner. “Ministry of Defense Soldiers’ Rights.” http://www.idf.il/english/organization/nakhal/index.stm [Accessed 8 Mar. 2004], 1 p.

Amnesty International—Israel

Association for Civil Rights in Israel

HaMoked: Center for the Defense of the Individual

Rabbis for Human Rights

Internet sites, including: Amnesty International, European Bureau for Conscientious Objection, European Country of Origin Information Network (ECOI), Freedom House, Human Rights Internet, Human Rights Watch (HRW), United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, United States Department of State, War Resistors International, Yesh Gvul.