Brit Tzedek v'Shalom

Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace

Educational Resources

THE IDF AND THE REFUSENIKS

1. 27 Israeli Reserve Pilots Refuse to Bomb Civilian Areas
   by Greg Myre, New York Times, September 25, 2003
   27 Israeli pilots startled Israelis by signing a petition that they would no longer take part in "illegal and immoral" targeted assassinations which often result in the deaths of Palestinian civilians.
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2. The Testimony of Haggai Matar, July, 2003
   The lengthy testimony of Israeli refusenik, Haggai Matar. Matar provides an account of his experiences attending the NIR School with Palestinians, his work with Gush Shalom, and explains his reasons for refusing to serve in an Army of Occupation.
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3. IDF Refuseniks tell Palestinians that Suicide Bombings must End
   By Arnon Regular and Lily Galili, Ha'aretz, June 18, 2003
   Ha'aretz reports on a letter sent by a group of a 100 Israeli refuseniks asking the Palestinians to end suicide bombing which merely serve to make "the work of justifying the occupation much easier for Sharon and his colleagues."
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4. The Power of Principle
   By Susan Sontag, The Guardian, April 26, 2003
   (Adapted from a March 30 speech at Houston's Rothko Chapel presenting the Oscar Romero Award to Ishai Menuchin, Chairman of Yesh Gvul)
   Sontag speaks with great elegance about the power of moral principle in paying tribute to the courage of those Israeli soldiers who have refused to serve in the Occupied Territories. Sontag also expresses great understanding of the suffering of both people and the need for a two-state solution.
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5. You are Not Protecting My Son's Rights
   By Matania Ben-Artzi, Counterpunch, April 18, 2003
   Ben-Artzi writes to Justice Barak to criticize his decision to not allow his son, Jonathan, a conscientious objector, the chance to be tried in civil rather than military court. Ben-Artzi accuses Barak of hypocritically speaking out in favor of human rights while ignoring them from the bench.
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6. Israel's Slippery Moral Slope
   By Neve Gordon, In These Times, January 31, 2003
   Neve Gordon describes the surreal "ends justifies the mean" philosophy exhibited by Israeli officers-in-training to whom he lectured about "leadership."
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7. Israel Rules Reserves Must Serve in Occupied Territories
   By James Bennet, New York Times, December 31, 2002
   In a controversial decision, the Israeli Supreme Court has ruled that Israeli military reservists do not have the right to refuse to serve in the Occupied Territories. This means that reservists who continue to refuse to participate in the Occupation will continue to be sentenced to time in jail for their acts of moral courage.
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8. A Hundred Soldiers Treated for "Intifada Syndrome"
   By Eitan Rabin, Ma'ariv, November 5, 2002
   This tragic article describes the shattered lives of hundreds of Israeli soldiers who have served in the IDF during the recent Intifada, many of whom are suffering from a form of post-traumatic stress disorder.
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9. Why I Won't Serve Sharon
   By Staff Sergeant Shlomi Segall The Guardian, July 5, 2002
   Segall explains why he will no longer be part Ariel Sharon's army.
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10. Go Figure Why You are Alive
    By Staff Sergeant Tal Belo (February, 2002)
    In this deeply personal account, Tal Belo describes what happened to him and some of his friends while on reserve duty in the Occupied Territories and why he has refused to serve there again.
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