Letter of protest from soldiers to the government in Israel

According to Israeli media, hundreds of Air Force personnel serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have written a joint letter calling on the government. The soldiers demanded that the government take immediate action to rescue the hostages, even if it means ending the conflict in Gaza.

According to a report by Israel's state broadcaster KAN, the call was supported not only by soldiers but also by academics and figures from the medical community. Hundreds of people, including retired officers, active-duty soldiers, and reservists, have signed the letter.

SUPPORT FROM ACADEMICS AND DOCTORS

Approximately 1,900 university faculty members signed a petition to support the initiative launched by Air Force personnel. In this petition, they stated that they agree with the content of the letter and that the government's priority should be to rescue the hostages.

Israel's Army Radio announced that a large number of military doctors have also joined the initiative. The doctors emphasized that the continuation of the war and the abandonment of the hostages to their fate contradict medical ethics and responsibilities toward human life.

It was reported that the letter has not yet been made public, but signatures are continuing to be collected and the organizational process is ongoing.

WHAT IS IN THE LETTER?

According to KAN television, the authors of the letter stated that the war no longer serves security goals but rather political and personal interests. The letter included the following statements:

“We agree with the grave and disturbing claim that the war is currently serving political and personal interests rather than security interests.”

It was noted that the war has not contributed to the stated goals and has led to the deaths of hostages, IDF soldiers, and innocent civilians. The letter also stated that the morale of reserve forces has deteriorated, refusal rates have increased, and this situation will weaken the army in the long term.

HARSH REACTION FROM NETANYAHU: “WEEDS”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at the soldiers who signed the letter. Netanyahu claimed that these individuals were being directed by organizations attempting to topple the government and stated:

“This is a small, noisy, anarchist, and disconnected group of retirees, most of whom have not served in the military for years. These weeds are trying to weaken the State of Israel and the IDF and are encouraging our enemy to harm us.”

Netanyahu claimed that such calls have previously sent a message of weakness to the enemy and stated that they would not allow them to be repeated. He emphasized that refusing to serve, regardless of the pretext, is unacceptable.

ARMY PREPARES TO DISMISS SIGNATORIES

According to a report by the Jerusalem Post, the Israeli army is preparing to dismiss hundreds of Air Force reserve officers who signed the letter and advocated for stopping the war.

Among those who signed the letter, only 60 are currently in active reserve duty, and the number of active pilots among them is in the single digits.

It is stated that these individuals are not only against the war but also opposed to Netanyahu’s controversial judicial reforms and his attempts to remove Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar from office.

CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF: “SOLDIERS ARE PROHIBITED FROM TAKING POLITICAL STANCES”

Israeli Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir reminded that military personnel are prohibited from publicly expressing opinions on government policies. According to Zamir, no matter how controversial Netanyahu’s policies may be, these policies are decisions of a democratically elected government, and the IDF is obligated to implement these decisions.

News Source: 12punto