Anti-war group asks Israeli troops to refuse duty
According to Internet reports, in early November an
anti-war group in Israel, Yesh Gvul, began handing out
leaflets to Israeli Defense Force soldiers calling on them to
refuse to serve in the occupied territories. Part of the
leaflet was a tear-off attachment that the soldiers were
asked to sign. It read: "We, soldiers of the IDF, state
hereby that we will not participate in the continuing
oppression of the Palestinian people in the occupied
territories and will not take part in policing and in
guarding the settlements, which enhance this oppression."
Already, some soldiers of Druze origin in the Israeli army
have refused duty, apparently out of identification with the
Palestinian cause. Palestinians of the Druze religious
denomination are the only Palestinians living within Israeli
borders who serve in the Israeli military.
Also, some soldiers of Jewish origin have refused duty for
reasons of conscience. There has been no national publicity
in Israel of this resistance as of Nov. 5.
The anti-war group has stated that it will support and
encourage any open resistance and even private avoidance of
duty as part of a punitive force within the West Bank or
Gaza. It believes any such resistance will help prevent
Israeli atrocities against Palestinians within those areas.
--John Catalinotto
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