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News :: Israel / Palestine |
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27 Israeli Pilots Opposing Targetting Killings Refuse Duties In The West Bank |
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by haaretz via gehrig
(No verified email address) |
24 Sep 2003
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"We, who have been educated to love the state of Israel, and to contribute to the Zionist endeavour, refuse to take part in air force attacks in civilian population centers," the letter says. |
Last update - 20:28 24/09/2003
27 pilots say will refuse to operate in territories
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent and Haaretz Service
A group of 27 active reserve duty pilots and retired pilots have sent a letter, signed by all of them, to Air Force Chief, Major General Dan Halutz, declaring that they refuse to participate in operations against Palestinians in the territories.
In the letter, the signatories said they refused to carry out attack orders that are "illegal and immoral."
"We, who have been educated to love the state of Israel, and to contribute to the Zionist endeavour, refuse to take part in air force attacks in civilian population centers," the letter says.
The group was referring to Israel's policy of targeted killings of Palestinian militants in the territories. Dozens of civilians have been killed in these strikes, which began a few months after the intifada erupted in late September 2000.
News that a group of pilots opposed to the targetted killing policy was coalescing, was first published in Haaretz a week ago.
Sources in the IAF reacted to the letter, saying the signatories were all inactive or veteran pilots who were never asked to carry out targeted assassinations in the territories.
Among the signatories is Brigadier General Yiftah Spector (res.), who was a squadron leader during the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
Several of the signatories have spoken out against operations in the territories in the past.
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