Israeli Air Force Pilots in Reserves...

Israeli Air Force Pilots in Reserves:

We Refuse to Attack in the Territories.

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from Arthur Waskow

Dear Folks,

Just in time for Rosh Hashanah (and its sermons and
discussions on ethical issues) appears a public letter
from some Israeli pilots in the reserves and Air Crew
who sent the following letter today to Air Force
Commander, Dan Halutz.

Before the text of the letter and some Israeli
commentary on it, let us remind you that on the Shalom
Center Website there is a full examination of the Torah
(Biblical, Maccabeean, Rabbinic, and Modern) of what
today we call "conscientious objection" to particular
wars.

The article is called "Torah, War, and the ’Gentle
Heart’ Today: Israeli Soldiers’ Refusal to Serve in the
Occupation Army" and it can be found at —

www.shalomctr.org/index.cfm/action/read/section/nonv/
article/peace83.html

Several other examinations of the "refuser" position
taken earlier by some Israeli soldiers can be found in
related articles on the list. Look at the
"Nonviolence" section in the "Peace" section for
examples. Home Page: www.shalomctr.org
The letter and some comments about it from Yediot
Achronot, the largest-circulation Israeli newspaper,
follow.

Shalom, Arthur

"We are opposed to carrying out attack orders that are
illegal and immoral of the type the State of Israel
has been conducting in the territories."

Twenty five pilots, former pilots, and air crew sent a
petition today (Wednesday) to General Dan Halutz,
Commander of the Air Force, in which they declared
that they will not participate in attack missions in
the territories.

An article to be published in the weekend magazine of
Yediot Aharonot reports that the most outstanding name
among those who signed is that of Yiftah Spector, a
Brigadier General in the reserves.

Spector is a pilot of mythic reputation in the Air
Force, who commanded squadrons and bases, participated
in the bombing of the nuclear reactor in Iraq, and was
a candidate for corps commander. Young pilots are
raised on battle stories about Spector and on books
that he himself wrote. He still flies in the Air
Force as a trainer in the reserves for the flight
school.

According to those who signed the letter, "gray
refusal" is already widespread in the Air Force, and
includes even pilots in the standing army. There are
dozens of pilots who refuse to participate in
assassinations, but get out of them quietly in private
arrangements with the commander of the squadron.

The weakness of the list of refuseniks, so far at
least, is that only two pilots of attack helicopters
signed the letter. Pilots of attack helicopters are
those who carry out almost all the assassinations.
In a response to Channel 10, the Commander of the Air
Force said, "This is not an earthquake in the Air
Force, and it’s important to keep this in proportion.

This is the first I hear of a letter like this. We
have the most humane and moral army there is. This is
political refusal. I don’t understand how one can
refuse in advance to carry out an order that was not
yet given. Political refusal is the mother of all
dangers to this nation. Refusal should not be a part
of our language."

The Full Letter

"We, Air Force pilots who were raised on the values of
Zionism, sacrifice, and contributing to the state of
Israel, have always served on the front lines, willing
to carry out any mission, whether small or large, to
defend and strengthen the state of Israel.

"We, veteran and active pilots alike, who served and
still serve the state of Israel for long weeks every
year, are opposed to carrying out attack orders that
are illegal and immoral of the type the state of
Israel has been conducting in the territories.

"We, who were raised to love the state of Israel and
contribute to the Zionist enterprise, refuse to take
part in Air Force attacks on civilian population
centers. We, for whom the Israel Defense Forces and
the Air Force are an inalienable part of ourselves,
refuse to continue to harm innocent civilians.

"These actions are illegal and immoral, and are a
direct result of the ongoing occupation which is
corrupting all of Israeli society. Perpetuation of the
occupation is fatally harming the security of the
state of Israel and its moral strength.

"We who serve as active pilots - fighters, leaders, and
instructors of the next generation of pilots — hereby
declare that we shall continue to serve in the Israel
Defense Forces and the Air Force for every mission in
defense of the state of Israel."

Signed: Brigadier General Yiftah Spector, Colonel Yigal
Shohat, Colonel Ran, Lieutenant Colonel Yoel Piterberg,
Lieutenant Colonel David Yisraeli, Lieutenant Colonel
Adam Netzer, Lieutenant Colonel Avner Ra’anan,
Lieutenant Colonel Gideon Shaham, Major Haggai Tamir,
Major Amir Massad, Major Gideon Dror, Major David
Marcus, Major Professor Motti Peri, Major Yotam,
Major Zeev Reshef, Major Reuven, Captain Assaf,
Captain Tomer, Captain Ron, Captain Yonatan, Captain
Allon, Captain Amnon"

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Israel grounds pilots who refused mission

Posted: Thursday, September 25, 4:05pm EDT

Christian Science Monitor
Israel on Thursday temporarily grounded reserve air
force pilots who - in an unprecedented protest -
condemned airstrikes in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as
"immoral" and refused to fly such sorties. The
declaration by 27 pilots, including nine on active
duty, was widely criticized in Israel as subversive at
a time of war, but it also revived a flagging debate on
the ethics of Israel’s three-year war on Palestinian
militants.

The protest struck a nerve because many Israelis
believe their military has higher moral standards than
that of their neighbors, and that other countries would
have been much more ruthless.

The military is also seen as an institution that binds
the fractious nation; Israelis get jittery at signs of
cracks in the ranks. The air force in particular is
considered key to Israel’s survival, and pilots are
held in the highest regard. Critics also say such talk
gives ammunition to Israel’s enemies.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said the rebel
pilots would be dealt with swiftly.
The group of 27 is informally led by Brig. Gen. Yiftah
Spector, a highly decorated retired pilot who,
according to Israeli media, took part in the bombing of
an Iraqi nuclear reactor in 1981.

http://www.csmonitor.com/newsinbrief/brieflies.html#WORLD16:05:11