Israel Grounds Pilots Who Refused Mission

[Mandate My Ass]

Israel Grounds Pilots Who Refused Mission
KARIN LAUB
Associated Press

JERUSALEM - 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.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/6859340.htm

[rabid_nerd]

1. Isn't that.... redundant?

Grounding them for refusing to fly, I mean?

[nomaco-10]

4. How is this redundent? It was posted at 2:41

and you replied at 2:45. What's your problem, the "draft gore" campaign not going well?

[Ohio Dem]

6. I think what rabid_nerd meant was this.

Israel grounding flyers who won't fly is sorta ironic. They already grounded themselves. It's like refusing to play a ballplayer who won't play, in a way.

It was, I think, a joke.

rabid_nerd: Correct me if I'm wrong.

[LeahMira]

2. So Proud!

Sending all those pilots a big :hug:

L'shana tova!

[instantkarma]

3. better title

"Israel Grounds Pilots Who Show Compassion Towards Fellow Human Beings"

[LeftistGorilla]

5. I wonder if...

Israel will have the balls to put them in jail...

[AndyTiedye]

7. If This Happened in the US Military, Would We Hear About It?

[Mandate My Ass]

8. They'd probably get the "lindh" treatment

Paraded around in chains and derided by the cable news as the biggest traitors the world has ever seen. Sent off to jail for decades at least.

[Noordam]

9. From BBC

"Hundreds of Israeli reserve soldiers have chosen prison over military service in the Palestinian territories during the last three years of Israeli-Palestinian violence. "

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3137392.stm

Sounds like the military over there are as happy with their leader as the US military is getting.

[Davis_X_Machina]

10. I know our Popular Wartime President...

...will emphathise with these men; he too was grounded because of a brave ethical protest.

Because of his passionate attachment to personal freedom, he refused to take a physical that included drug testing, and was grounded as a result, ending his promising Air Force career.

I mean, it had to be a principled refusal, right? It's not like he had anything to hide.....

[rman]

11. "27 Israeli pilots refuse missions on civillian targets"

that'd be my alternative headline.

The irony of this statement is stuns me:

"subversive at a time of war"

i mean, they're always at war. perpetual war. it is not total war yet, but i'm sure they can work on that. with a little help.
god forbid.

[PsychoDad]

12. Sorta hurts the Israel can do no wrong crowd.

When members of the Isralei air force decline to murder civilians, and declare the airstrikes themselves as immoral.

Wonder if this this action makes them "anti-semetic" ? :silly:

[markus]

13. Isreali pilots refuse to commit war crimes

would be a more apt headline.

And they may have some grounds under international law.

It will be a very emabressing trial, and so of course probably closed to the media as an internal military matter.

[Mass_Liberal]

14. Those men have my undying respect

For an extremely noble act. They could be jailed for many years for what they did.