Dozens of Israeli youth sign letter saying: ‘We Won’t Take Part in Occupation’
Israeli youth has sent a letter to country’s leaders including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Education Minister Naftali Bennet and Chief of Israel Defense Forces Lt. Gen Gadi Eisenkot declaring their refusal to serve in Army in protest against Palestine occupation
The letter, published in one of Israel’s highest-selling newspapers, Yedioth Ahronoth by Dozens of Israeli 12-grade students criticized the government and the military for their policies both against Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza and against members of Israel’s own minority of Palestinian citizens.
Israeli youth sign letter saying “we won’t take part in occupation” and therefore have decided not to participate in the occupation and oppression of the Palestinian people which separates people into two hostile camps.
They further said that the ‘temporary’ situation has been ongoing for 50 years and we will not continue to enable it and refuse to believe the system of incitement and to participate in the government’s arm of oppression and occupation.
In early December, the education ministry and the IDF announced that they were working on a plan to increase the number of draftees enlisting for combat service.
Currently, enlistment rates are sinking and dropout rates stand at over 7,000 male and female soldiers annually.
Defying the norm of all teenagers under 18 required to serve the IDF, however, the concern authorities are yet to reply to the letter formally but a retired IDF major general called the letter sad and marginal.
The violence has increased over the last month since US President Donald Trump announced his controversial decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
In the coming weeks, the group intends to visit various locations throughout Israel in order to enlist other youngsters to their cause.