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 who have served the State of Israel for long weeks every year, in spite of the dear cost to our personal lives, 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 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. Site News There are currently 21! conscientious objectors in jail for refusing to serve in the occupied territories.
I Accuse
by Itai Haviv
I accuse you Palestinians of crossing all the red lines, in your struggle for freedom.
Of not raising your voice when your brothers exploded and crushed the essence of humanity.
I accuse myself. I was silent in face of the occupation.
I accuse us of ruling other people.
Of being indifferent to the suffering of others, despite our own persecuted past.
Of oppressing and humiliating.
Day after day. Hour after hour. For 35 years.
Of not seeing ourselves as Palestinians.
Of convincing ourselves that we have done everything for peace.
Of building more than one hundred settlements.
Of expanding the settlements while talking peace.
Of expecting the Israeli Defense Forces to violently oppress inspirations of freedom.
Of shouting as officers 'after me!' though we knew we would not be able to look into the eyes of a mother who will lose her son.
Of being afraid. Afraid to shout too loud.
Afraid to pay a personal price to defense the moral image of this land.
Of betraying the human dignity of others and ourselves.
Of crushing the right of freedom.
Of being blind to a black flag which was hanging over our heads for 35 years.
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