Hi Nadine Carroll; Re: "Scattered documents about a refusnik movement that never got more than 500 signatures, that's your evidence?"
Nah, it's the trend. The documents aren't scattered, they're in time sequence.
Re: "The refusnik movement essentially croaked after the Passover massacre in March 2002."
This is simply untrue, LOL. My first link is already dated April 4, 2002. The next one, showing another increase in the refusenik total, dates to February 19, 2003. And the most recent, and most serious link, where pilots (i.e. fairly high ranking officers, see the list at the end of this post) refused to bomb the PA, is from September of 2003.
Hey, I know what! I'll keep the thread informed as to the progress of the refusenik movement.
...
Lieutenant Colonel Eli, an ace fighter pilot, announced that he was adding his signature to the refusal letter.
Eli, who serves as a flight instructor, along with Colonel Yiftah Spector, one of the original 27 signatories, said he decided to add his signature following IAF Chief Dan Halutz's announcement that harsher measures would be taken against flight instructors who signed the letter, saying they were not "the people who should educate the next generation of pilots."
...
216.239.57.104
Also see:
216.239.57.104
-- Carl
P.S. The Full Letter
"We, Air Force pilots who were raised on the values of Zionism, sacrifice, and contributing to the state of Israel, have always served on the front lines, willing to carry out any mission, whether small or large, to defend and strengthen the state of Israel.
"We, veteran and active pilots alike, who served and still serve the state of Israel for long weeks every year, are opposed to carrying out attack orders that are illegal and immoral of the type the state of Israel has been conducting in the territories.
"We, who were raised to love the state of Israel and contribute to the Zionist enterprise, refuse to take part in Air Force attacks on civilian population centers. We, for whom the Israel Defense Forces and the Air Force are an inalienable part of ourselves, refuse to continue to harm innocent civilians.
"These actions are illegal and immoral, and are a direct result of the ongoing occupation which is corrupting all of Israeli society.
Perpetuation of the occupation is fatally harming the security of the state of Israel and its moral strength.
"We who serve as active pilots - fighters, leaders, and instructors of the next generation of pilots -- hereby declare that we shall continue to serve in the Israel Defense Forces and the Air Force for every mission in defense of the state of Israel."
Signed:
Brigadier General Yiftah Spector,
Colonel Yigal Shohat,
Colonel Ran,
Lieutenant Colonel Yoel Piterberg,
Lieutenant Colonel David Yisraeli,
Lieutenant Colonel Adam Netzer,
Lieutenant Colonel Avner Ra'anan,
Lieutenant Colonel Gideon Shaham,
Major Haggai Tamir,
Major Amir Massad,
Major Gideon Dror,
Major David Marcus,
Major Professor Motti Peri,
Major Yotam,
Major Zeev Reshef,
Major Reuven,
Captain Assaf,
Captain Tomer,
Captain Ron,
Captain Yonatan,
Captain Allon,
Captain Amnon |
