Israeli teenagers who stand for honesty, decency and sanity

[Comadreja]

The refusal of five patriots to serve in the army is a beacon of hope for Israel

Avi Shlaim
Monday March 22, 2004
The Guardian <http://www.guardian.co.uk>

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1174825,00.html


Israel's occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip has in the past three years provoked increasingly violent resistance from Palestinians - and vocal criticism from inside Israel. The most outspoken critics are five teenagers who refuse to serve in the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) because it is an army of occupation.
Thirty-six years of policing the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have had a profound effect on the IDF, turning it into an instrument of territorial expansion and colonial oppression. The only people the IDF defends in the occupied territories are the Jewish settlers, and it is remarkably indulgent towards the extremists among them. Towards the Arab population, on the other hand, it behaves with the utmost inhumanity.
In recent months, 28 Israeli pilots and 13 members of an elite commando unit have joined the five refuseniks in protest against the army's conduct in the occupied territories. Yet it is the courage of the five that is truly astonishing because of the price they are prepared to pay for following their conscience.
The teenagers, known as "the five", are Noam Bahat, Matan Kaminer, Adam Maor, Haggai Matar and Shimri Tsameret. They were recently sentenced each to a year in prison, and the time they spent in detention pending trial will not be deducted. All refused to serve in the IDF because of the occupation and all were ready to do civilian service instead, but the offer was rejected. (more)

[Jim Sagle]

1. Mr. Shlaim shows a touching naivete and a reckless disregard for

Israeli national security. My goodness.

[redqueen]

2. Great news

Now I wish some Palestinians would also recognize their actions are part of the problem and refuse to join!

[Noon_Blue_Apples]

3. damn straight

this is how it will happen