To: Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon
CC: Defense Minister, Benyamin Ben-Eliezer
IDF Chief of Staff, Shaul
Mofaz
We, the undersigned, youths who grew up and were brought up in
Israel, are about to be called up to serve in the IDF. We protest
before you against the aggressive and racist policy pursued by the
Israeli government and its army, and to inform you that we do not
intend to take part in the execution of this policy.
We strongly resist Israel's pounding of human rights. Land
expropriation, arrests, executions without trial, house
demolitions, closure, torture, and denial of health care are only
some of the crimes the State of Israel carries out, in flagrant
violation of international conventions it has ratified.
These actions are not only illegitimate; they do not even achieve
their stated goal - increasing the citizens' personal safety. Such
safety will be achieved only through a just peace agreement between
the Israeli government and the Palestinian people.
Therefore we will obey our conscience and refuse to take part in
acts of oppression against the Palestinian people, acts that should
properly be called terrorist actions. We call upon persons our age,
conscripts, soldiers in the standing army, and reserve service
soldiers to do the same.
Haggai Matar
Yair Hilo
Sahni Werner
Neta Zalmanson
Ra'anan Forschner
Matan Kaminer
Reur Katz
Yoni Cohen
Amir Melanki
Uriah Oren
Tali Lerner
and others