An Antiwar Movement Grows in Israel 

NEVE GORDON / The Nation v.274, n.7, 25feb02

Neve Gordon teaches politics at Ben-Gurion University in Israel.
mindfully.org file photo 1997

A few months after the 1967 war, Yeshayahu Leibowitz, a professor at Hebrew University and a leading Israeli intellectual-- who was also an observant Jew--stated that Israel must immediately withdraw from the occupied territories. He argued that the occupation was unjust and would inevitably lead to the oppression and subjugation of the Palestinians, and to the corruption if not destruction of Israeli society. Until his death in the mid-1990s, he continued to criticize the occupation, using piercing, prophetic language to condemn the immorality of Israeli policies. For years, Leibowitz also averred that if 500 reservist soldiers would simultaneously refuse to serve in the territories, the occupation would end.

The fifty combat officers and soldiers who announced-in an open letter published on January 25 in the Israeli press-that they would no longer serve in the territories were in many ways following Leibowitzs advice. Already, 125 more soldiers have signed, among them sergeants, lieutenants, captains and even a few colonels (below ). Thousands of Israelis have called a hotline to express support for the group and to donate money to help it publish ads in local papers, while Yesh Gvul ("There Is a Limit"), started by Israelis who refused to serve in Lebanon twenty years ago, is distributing leaflets urging others to join the soldiers' action. A group of women is organizing a petition, claiming that reserve officers are not the only ones carrying the burdens of occupation, while a number of twelfth graders, who will be drafted this coming summer, have also announced that they will not serve in the territories.

The fact that the letter has created such a stir both inside the military establishment and in society at large has to do with the profile of those who initiated it: These are not radical leftists but rather people affiliated with Israel's political center and members of the social elite. They have experienced firsthand the effect of the occupation, so their views cannot be dismissed.

Shuki Sadeh, a paratrooper reservist who was among the signers, told a newspaper how he had seen an Israeli soldier kill a young Palestinian boy at a distance of 150 meters. "What angered me at the time," Sadeh explained, "was that our soldiers said, `Well, that's another Arab who has disappeared."' Ariel Shatil, an artillery master sergeant recently on duty in the Gaza Strip, recalled that while it's claimed that the Palestinians shoot first and Israelis just respond, in reality, "We would start shooting and they would fire back."

The Israeli military has been shaken by the letter-not least because the soldiers are discrediting the Israeli depiction of the conflict and exposing the army's excessive use of force-and is now trying to prevent the "damage" from spreading. Rami Kap lan, one signer, has been demoted from his position as deputy commander of a reserve tank battalion, and other signers have been notified that they, too, will be stripped of their command. Yigal Bronner, a Sanskrit scholar who serves in a tank unit and also signed the letter, says, "It is as if both sides [the military and refuseniks] believe Leibowitzs prophecy ...the soldiers are committed to amassing 500 conscientious objectors, while the Israeli government and military are afraid that if they do, the occupation will actually end." 

EXCERPTS FROM THE OPEN LETTER

• We, reserve combat officers and soldiers of the Israel Defense
• Forces, who were raised upon the principles of Zionism, sacrifice and giving to the people of Israel and to the State of Israel, who have always served in the front lines, and who were the first to carry out any mission, light or heavy, in order to protect the State of Israel and strengthen it;
• We, combat officers and soldiers, have been on reserve duty all over the occupied territories, and were issued commands and directives that had nothing to do with the security of our country, and that had the sole purpose of perpetuating our control over the Palestinian people. We, whose eyes have seen the bloody toll this occupation exacts from both sides;
• We, who sensed how the commands issued to us in the territories destroy all the values we had absorbed while growing up in this country;
• We, who understand now that the price of occupation is the loss of the IDF's human character and the corruption of the entire Israeli society;
• We, who know that the territories are not Israel, and that all settlements are bound to be evacuated in the end;
• We hereby declare that we shall not continue to fight this War of the Settlements.
• We shall not continue to fight beyond the 1967 borders in order to dominate, expel, starve and humiliate an entire people.
• We hereby declare that we shall continue serving in the Israel Defense Forces in any mission that serves Israel's defense.
• The missions of occupation and oppression do not serve this purpose and we shall take no part in them.

EXCERPTS FROM THE LEAFLET

SOLDIER:

We all want to defend our country. We're all sick and tired of terrorism. We all want peace. But do our actions permit of an end to the cycle of bloodshed?

Since 1967, Israel has ruled over 3.5 million Palestinians, running their lives by means of a forcible occupation, with continual violations of human rights.

Ask yourself whether your actions in the course of your military service enhance national security? Or do those actions merely fuel the enmity and the acts of violence between us and our Palestinian neighbors?

SOLDIER: THE OCCUPATION BREEDS TERRORISM!

When you take part in extrajudicial killings ("liquidation," in the army's terms), when you take part in demolishing residential homes, when you open fire at unarmed civilian population or residential homes, when you uproot orchards, when you interdict food supplies or medical treatment, you are taking part in actions defined in international conventions (such as the 4th Geneva Convention) and in Israeli law as war crimes.

Soldier, is there a people anywhere in the world that will not resist an occupation regime? If you were in the Palestinians' shoes, would you be willing to bow your head to a foreign ruler?

SOLDIER: THE OCCUPATION UNDERMINES OUR COUNTRY

The occupation and the violence that it prompts drag the economy down into recession. Investors are in flight, tourists stay away, entire sections of the economy are in collapse.

SOLDIER: IT'S IN YOUR HANDS!

Current signers number: 246 [as of 16feb02]
see www.seruv.org.il/defaulteng.asp for the full list
# Full Name Rank Unit 

1 Avner Inbar Staff Sergeant Engineering 
2 Ofir Cohen Staff Sergeant Infantry 
3 Itzik Holdai Staff Sergeant Engineering 
4 Itai Swirski Lieutenant Paratroopers 
5 Amir Engel Staff Sergeant Artillery 
6 Amir Samuel Staff Sergeant Paratroopers 
7 Amnon Kafri Sergeant First Class Artillery 
8 Assaf Oron Sergeant First Class Infantry 
9 Ariel Shatil Sergeant First Class Artillery 
10 Arik Diamant Staff Sergeant Paratroopers 
11 Gil Alexandrovitz Lieutenant Artillery 
12 Guy Grosman Lieutenant Paratroopers 
13 Gyora Alexandron Staff Sergeant Paratroopers 
14 Gil Nemesh Staff Sergeant Engineering 
15 David Zonshein Lieutenant Paratroopers 
16 Dolev Tokatly Staff Sergeant Army Intelligence 
17 Dan Tamir Captain Paratroopers 
18 Danny Vas Sergeant First Class Navy 
19 Danny Mamlok Staff Sergeant Artillery 
20 Danny Markovitz Staff Sergeant Engineering 
21 Haim Wies Captain Armored Corps 
22 Tal Ben Amar Lieutenant Infantry 
23 Yair Bustan Lieutenant Navy 
24 Yigal Broner Staff Sergeant Armored Corps 
25 Yehoda Shalem Staff Sergeant Infantry 
26 Yoav Katz First Sergeant Armored Corps 
27 Johnathan Katz Staff Sergeant Infantry 
28 Yaniv Itzkovitz Lieutenant Paratroopers 
29 Ishai Lerman Staff Sergeant Engineering 
30 Ishai Rozen Tzvi Staff Sergeant Armored Corps 
31 Ishai Sagi Lieutenant Artillery 
32 Naor Ben Yehoyada Captain Navy 
33 Navot Morag Staff Sergeant Paratroopers 
34 Noam Livne Lieutenant Engineering 
35 Nir Evron Lieutenant Paratroopers 
36 Noam Viener Lieutenant Infantry 
37 Netanel Alzas Staff Sergeant Infantry 
38 Adi Martzuk Staff Sergeant Air Force AA 
39 Ofer Shor Captain Infantry 
40 Ilay Tamari Staff Sergeant Armored Corps 
41 Amit Bar Tzedek Staff Sergeant Armored Corps 
42 Amit Gal Sergeant First Class Paratroopers 
43 Amit Mashiah Staff Sergeant Artillery 
44 Ram Alpya Staff Sergeant Infantry 
45 Rami Kaplan Major Armored Corps 
46 Shoki Shade Staff Sergeant Paratroopers 
47 Shahar Dolev Lieutenant Air Force 
48 Shai Yakir Staff Sergeant Infantry 
49 Shay Tzoker Sergeant First Class Navy 
50 Shamai Leybovitz Staff Sergeant Armored Corps 
51 Itai Haviv Captain Artillery 
52 Amir Efrat Lieutenant Air Force 
53 Shmuel Vardi Staff Sergeant Armored Corps 
54 Jonathan Eshpar Staff Sergeant Armored Corps 
55 Shahar Smooha Sergeant Armored Corps 
56 Uri Tal Staff Sergeant Infantry 
57 Eli Baruch First Sergeant Infantry 
58 Ron GerLitz Captain Navy 
59 Nir Lahav Staff Sergeant Paratroopers 
60 Tal Avgar Staff Sergeant Air Force AA 
61 Udi Elifants Lieutenant Artillery 
62 Marcelo Svirsky Corporal Engineering 
63 Chen Alon Major Armored Corps 
64 Ori Rot-Levi Captain Navy 
65 Bar Hefstz Staff Sergeant Armored Corps 
66 Noam Ziv Major Paratroopers 
67 Yaron Parasol Sergeant First Class Paratroopers 
68 Nir Gov Warrant Officer Other 
69 Barak Adorian Sergeant First Class Paratroopers 
70 Yossi Veissid Sergeant First Class Infantry 
71 Muli Linder Lieutenant Medicine Corps 
72 Amir Shahal Captain Infantry 
73 dishon bilgory Staff Sergeant Navy 
74 Amir Ziv Sergeant First Class Paratroopers 
75 Boaz Zussman Major Armored Corps 
76 Itai Eisinger Staff Sergeant Artillery 
77 Yuval Ron Staff Sergeant Army Intelligence 
78 Uzi Dror Staff Sergeant Armored Corps 
79 Liron Prestelnik Captain Armored Corps 
80 Gilad Svirski Staff Sergeant Artillery 
81 Ori Finkelman Lieutenant Artillery 
82 Moshe Sivan Captain Armored Corps 
83 Barak Atzmon Staff Sergeant Artillery 
84 Akiva Leibowitz Captain Artillery 
85 Arad Hakim Staff Sergeant Infantry 
86 Uri Dotan Staff Sergeant Infantry 
87 Dan Goldenblatt Staff Sergeant Paratroopers 
88 Timor Israeli Lieutenant Armored Corps 
89 Erez Zverling Staff Sergeant Paratroopers 
90 Amit Peer Staff Sergeant Armored Corps 
91 Leor Kroch Staff Sergeant Infantry 
92 Noam Sagi Captain Navy 
93 Hanoch Frankovits Lieutenant Armored Corps 
94 Hed Bar-Nissan Captain Paratroopers 
95 Samuel Miller Staff Sergeant Other 
96 Trevor Galor Staff Sergeant Paratroopers 
97 Avi Blum Sergeant First Class Paratroopers 
98 Omri Klainberger Staff Sergeant Artillery 
99 Amir Rosenfeld Captain Air Force AA 
100 Uri AviHay Staff Sergeant Artillery 
101 Shay Peled Sergeant Air Force AA 
102 Gabi Bokvza Staff Sergeant Paratroopers 
103 Roey Vollman Lieutenant Artillery 
104 Ram Efrat Staff Sergeant Infantry 
105 Clark Hoover Corporal Armored Corps 
106 Gilad Elazar Sergeant First Class Infantry 
107 Ofir Shalem Lieutenant Engineering 
108 Guy Keshet Staff Sergeant Armored Corps 
109 Yotam Cohen Sergeant Infantry 
110 Ofer Teler Sergeant Other 
111 Ronen Edelman Staff Sergeant Army Intelligence 
112 Yoram Talmon Captain Medicine Corps 
113 Shimon El-Ami Major Other 
114 Oren Dolphin Staff Sergeant Infantry 
115 Tal Shamir Staff Sergeant Armored Corps 
116 Doron Tzabari Lieutenant Medicine Corps 
117 Tzvika Abramovitch Staff Sergeant Armored Corps 
118 Aviad Roitgrund Staff Sergeant Engineering 
119 Oded chakim Staff Sergeant Armored Corps 
120 Youval Tamari Captain Air Force 
121 Yoav Di-Kapua Lieutenant Armored Corps 
122 Shuli Weis Staff Sergeant Medicine Corps 
123 Itai Berger Major Armored Corps 
124 Zohar Mor Lieutenant Navy 
125 Michael Weksler Staff Sergeant Armored Corps 
126 Shahar Tzur Captain Navy 
127 Eliav Saharovitch Staff Sergeant Infantry 
128 Liron Eliasov Lieutenant Army Intelligence 
129 Yaniv Reingwertz Staff Sergeant Engineering 
130 Shahar Almagor Captain Navy 
131 Alon Barnea Staff Sergeant Engineering 
132 Harel Arzi Staff Sergeant Medicine Corps 
133 Omer Simha Staff Sergeant Infantry 
134 Dadi Lavie Staff Sergeant Paratroopers 
135 Asaf Levnon Lieutenant Armored Corps 
136 Asaf Guy Staff Sergeant Navy 
137 Yaron Hoffman Staff Sergeant Armored Corps 
138 Maor Parsai Staff Sergeant Armored Corps 
139 Jeremy Swimer Private first class Air Force 
140 Yair Morag Staff Sergeant Infantry 
141 Gary Sussman Sergeant Infantry 
142 Isio Rosental Private Air Force 
143 Dani Filc Captain Armored Corps 
144 yoav aderman Sergeant First Class Paratroopers 
145 Omry Yeshurun Lieutenant Armored Corps 
146 Yigal Onik Sergeant First Class Engineering 
147 Ronen Katz Sergeant First Class Armored Corps 
148 Doron Mutai Lieutenant Engineering 
149 Tal Belo Staff Sergeant Armored Corps 
150 yossi revivo Staff Sergeant Infantry 
151 Lior Kay Corporal Other 
152 gadi doron Sergeant First Class Paratroopers 
153 nadav shlomot Staff Sergeant Paratroopers 
154 yuval agassi Lieutenant Paratroopers 
155 yuval netzer Sergeant First Class Armored Corps 
156 Amichai Katz Staff Sergeant Infantry 
157 Omri Friedman Staff Sergeant Infantry 
158 Dror Lutzati Sergeant First Class Engineering 
159 eilon oron Sergeant First Class Engineering 
160 Dani Broitman Staff Sergeant Infantry 
161 Alexander Lyakas Sergeant Artillery 
162 Yossi Schellas Lieutenant Armored Corps 
163 Yariv Mizrahi Captain Armored Corps 
164 Assaf Bervald Staff Sergeant Infantry 
165 Daniel Lewenhoff Staff Sergeant Armored Corps 
166 Avi Shnior Staff Sergeant Armored Corps 
167 Amir Shlomie Sergeant Medicine Corps 
168 Yariv Shavit Sergeant Armored Corps 
169 Noam Sorek Staff Sergeant Air Force 
170 Alon Arbel Lieutenant Infantry 
171 Amit Grossman Staff Sergeant Air Force 
172 Omer Karp Major Armored Corps 
173 Nir Rosen Staff Sergeant Other 
174 Shlomi Segal Staff Sergeant Infantry 
175 Asaf Barashi Staff Sergeant Paratroopers 
176 Gil Shalit Sergeant Paratroopers 
177 Alon Levin Staff Sergeant Infantry 
178 Uri Eshhar Lieutenant Armored Corps 
179 Asaf Shilo Lieutenant Engineering 
180 Yuval Andorn Staff Sergeant Artillery 
181 Nik John Corporal Engineering 
182 Gome Levin Staff Sergeant Other 
183 Ronnen Ben - Arie Staff Sergeant Armored Corps 
184 Adi Naar Staff Sergeant Armored Corps 
185 Nir Rehav Staff Sergeant Artillery 
186 Roi Barak Staff Sergeant Armored Corps 
187 Uri Fine Staff Sergeant Armored Corps 
188 Ohad Matalon Sergeant First Class Armored Corps 
189 Doron Segev Staff Sergeant Army Intelligence 
190 Yakov Gabay Staff Sergeant Engineering 
191 Michael Sfard Sergeant Medicine Corps 
192 Ori Choshen Captain Air Force 
193 Tamir Sorek Sergeant First Class Army Intelligence 
194 Arik Peretz Staff Sergeant Infantry 
195 Amnon Vidan Major Navy 
196 Aner Sella Staff Sergeant Artillery 
197 Rahav Magen Staff Sergeant Armored Corps 
198 Itamar Schweika Captain Army Intelligence 
199 Noam Leshem Staff Sergeant Navy 
200 Dani Kish Lieutenant Armored Corps 
201 Ido Zvieli Captain Air Force 
202 Avner Kohavi Sergeant First Class Infantry 
203 Platon Melinovski Corporal Armored Corps 
204 Asaf Chemets Lieutenant Paratroopers 
205 Kim Yuval Staff Sergeant Artillery 
206 Eran Laish Staff Sergeant Engineering 
207 Udi Sommer Staff Sergeant Air Force 
208 Eyal Wurgaft Staff Sergeant Paratroopers 
209 Ori Saley Lieutenant Armored Corps 
210 Asa Meron Staff Sergeant Artillery 
211 Asaf Openheimer Staff Sergeant Engineering 
212 Eyal Ben-Basat Staff Sergeant Engineering 
213 Amiram Raber Captain Armored Corps 
214 Ofer Brawer Lieutenant Infantry 
215 Ori Lev Staff Sergeant Armored Corps 
216 Amnon Aran Lieutenant Artillery 
217 Guy Geltner Staff Sergeant Artillery 
218 Ittai Weinryb Staff Sergeant Armored Corps 
219 Ariel Tartakovsky Staff Sergeant Artillery 
220 Yossi Landesman Staff Sergeant Paratroopers 
221 Yaniv Dolev Sergeant Infantry 
222 Idan Caspari Sergeant First Class Infantry 
223 Itay Rotem Staff Sergeant Armored Corps 
224 Aharon Shem-Tov Staff Sergeant Other 
225 Oren Entin Corporal Infantry 
226 Adi Raveh Staff Sergeant Other 
227 Gil Barry Staff Sergeant Armored Corps 
228 Yoav Ben Yaakov Lieutenant Infantry 
229 Nir Siani Staff Sergeant Infantry 
230 Noam Sheizaf Lieutenant Infantry 
231 Shahak Yariv Lieutenant Medicine Corps 
232 Nimrod Shilo Staff Sergeant Artillery 
233 Noam Geffen Sergeant First Class Artillery 
234 Naor Urian Lieutenant Paratroopers 
235 Yiftah Ron Sergeant First Class Paratroopers 
236 asher albo Staff Sergeant Paratroopers 
237 dudu rotman Lieutenant Other 
238 Mike Raphaeli Sergeant Artillery 
239 Aviv Gleichman Staff Sergeant Air Force 
240 Amir Kedan Staff Sergeant Artillery 
241 Itamar Haber Staff Sergeant Medicine Corps 
242 Oren Levi Sergeant Artillery 
243 Amit Brock Staff Sergeant Infantry 
244 David Enoch Lieutenant Armored Corps 
245 Amit Kaufman Sergeant First Class Paratroopers 
246 Nitzan Shany Lieutenant Armored Corps