Subscribe to Print Edition | Sun., October 18, 2009 Tishrei 30, 5770 | | Israel Time: 20:22 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
Jewish World Haaretz Toolbar
Diplomacy
Defense Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Focus U.S.A. Strenger than Fiction Business Travel Magazine Week's End Anglo File Books
Share |
Last update - 23:18 12/10/2009
Dozens of 12th graders tell Netanyahu: We refuse to serve in IDF
By Ofri Ilani, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Benjamin Netanyahu 

Dozens of graduating high school seniors signed a letter on Monday declaring their refusal to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces.

The missive, which was addressed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, stated that the reason for their refusal to serve stems from the belief that "there is no military solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."

"We hereby announce our refusal to take part in the military apparatus," read the letter which was signed by 88 youths. "We do not see a military solution as the proper solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
Advertisement
"We are not evading the duty to contribute to society and we are not breaking Israeli law, but rather it is our war for human rights which is an act of preserving Israel's democratic character," the high school seniors wrote.

The four youths who presented the letter to the press said they intend to refuse military conscription and that they are ready to serve time in military prison.

The youths said other signatories chose to gain an exemption from the army through other means without refusing.
PROMOTION: Mamilla Hotel
Bookmark to del.icio.us  
 
Goldstone battle ahead
Netanyahu: Prepare for long struggle against Goldstone Gaza report
Olmert, interrupted
WATCH: 'War criminal' calls interrupt Olmert speech at University of Chicago
  1.   12th graders already brainwashed by left 16:24  |  paul almond 12/10/09
  2.   These are Israel`s real heroes 16:26  |  Sylvie 12/10/09
  3.   refuse to serve 16:27  |  zoe 12/10/09
  4.   88 kids out of a general population of 7+ million 16:29  |  Avi 12/10/09
  5.   Refusal to serve 16:30  |  Mike B 12/10/09
  6.   Back to Medieval Ghetto ,free Israel is lost on them 16:32  |  Absolute Sweden 12/10/09
  7.   build more jails for these rats 16:39  |  disgusted 12/10/09
  8.   A Voice of Conscience 16:45  |  Yaakov Sullivan 12/10/09
  9.   What brave young people! 16:46  |  BBSNews 12/10/09
  10.   At least they`re not gutless cowards 16:50  |  VOICE OF AMERICA)) 12/10/09
  11.   Refusers 16:57  |  Shlomo 12/10/09
  12.   The Youths are profoundly correct: Land for Peace is only option 16:59  |  Neville Chamberlain 12/10/09
  13.   avi---better deduct another 20% of those kids 17:05  |  Labhras 12/10/09
  14.   the courage of refuse!! 17:07  |  Cesare 12/10/09
  15.   Join up to get rid the illegal Settlers---IE --EI-TAN 17:12  |  Labhras 12/10/09
  16.   Refusniks 17:16  |  paul 12/10/09
  17.   Hiloni Parasites 17:17  |  Shmuel 12/10/09
  18.   12TH. GRADERS REFUSE TO SERVE WITH THE IDF 17:17  |  SAMUEL ABBO VEISSID 12/10/09
  19.   # 4 17:20  |  Elemer 12/10/09
  20.   This is not what our children are for 17:21  |  Sarah Bietle 12/10/09
  21.   I can`t believe there are so few 17:28  |  Shackleton 12/10/09
  22.   A Sign of the Younger Generation 17:30  |  Stephen 12/10/09
  23.   I`ll bet none are from Sderot 17:35  |  danny 12/10/09
  24.   refusal to serve - courage to refuse 17:38  |  Nahman Umani 12/10/09
  25.   Refusing to Serve 17:38  |  Steve Burns 12/10/09
  26.   Shackleton ,they are more numerous than Lord How-How standing up 17:38  |  Absolute Sweden 12/10/09
  27.   12th graders: "Arabs don`t mean us, only the other "evil" Jews." 17:46  |  12 don`t get it yet? 12/10/09
  28.   Such courageous young people.... 17:46  |  Silvienne 12/10/09
  29.   They refuse national service as it lacks headlines 17:47  |  Ilan 12/10/09
  30.   #17, Shmuel... 17:48  |  Silvienne 12/10/09
  31.   The courage of confessing cowardice 17:48  |  Israeli citizen 12/10/09
  32.   You who approve this, then see Stallone movies--bunch of 17:49  |  Israeli citizen 12/10/09
  33.   Chamberlain was little and naive in comparison 17:50  |  Israeli citizen 12/10/09
  34.   #3, zoe... 17:50  |  Silvienne 12/10/09
  35.   WHAT A BLESSING YULI TAMIR IS NO LONGER IN CHARGE OF SCHOOLS 18:03  |  zionist forever 12/10/09
  36.   Absolute Sweden. Did you serve in the IDF? If not, why not? 18:03  |  Michael 12/10/09
  37.   The military is not the problem, it`s if the government that is 18:14  |  joey 12/10/09
  38.   They can serve in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard 18:16  |  Nimrod Tal 12/10/09
  39.   Solution 18:20  |  Arieka 12/10/09
  40.   Special Assignment for these "heroes" 18:24  |  Sam 12/10/09
  41.   IDF or IOF? 18:27  |  Mark Lincoln 12/10/09
  42.   30 18:32  |  zionist forever 12/10/09
  43.   Misguided youth 18:38  |  Gilles 12/10/09
  44.   Glad to see that there are still some Israelis that r truly jewis 18:45  |  Caroline 12/10/09
  45.   Sad lack of unity 18:47  |  Wade 12/10/09
  46.   With more of those we will soon.. 19:16  |  Michael Dar 12/10/09
  47.   "We refuse to serve" 19:17  |  12th Graders 12/10/09
  48.   If the lads refuse to serve... 19:18  |  Labhras 12/10/09
  49.   #42 Zionist Forever. And, people, read the whole letter! 19:18  |  lior 12/10/09
  50.   People have a right to read the whole letter. Here is the link. 19:22  |  lior 12/10/09
  51.   clean toilets 19:34  |  Josh 12/10/09
  52.   Put them in jail and give them a criminal record 19:38  |  arthur 12/10/09
  53.   They want to go straight to Thailand 19:39  |  Chaim Ben Kahan 12/10/09
  54.   #42, zionist forever... 19:40  |  Silvienne 12/10/09
  55.   Is it not the case that every War Israel has been involved in has 19:42  |  A.J. Myers 12/10/09
  56.   #49, well said, lior from Tel Aviv... 19:44  |  Silvienne 12/10/09
  57.   Good for them, smart kids!!! 19:44  |  ballistic 12/10/09
  58.   Palestinians are not Israel`s main threat 19:46  |  Baruch Gold 12/10/09
  59.   hateful petition 19:55  |  Baruch Gold 12/10/09
  60.   Finally, a youth movement 19:56  |  Don Boston 12/10/09
  61.   Seeing through the fog 20:00  |  The Machsom Watcher 12/10/09
  62.   After this sort of thing, the world needs to dream with Achilles. 20:04  |  Israeli citizen 12/10/09
  63.   Hey there Silvienne 20:06  |  ballistic 12/10/09
  64.   Labhras - making stuff up again, huh? 20:06  |  Don Boston 12/10/09
  65.   It is not these youngsters fault 20:07  |  LS 12/10/09
  66.   RE: disgusted 20:07  |  Jared 12/10/09
  67.   build a prison on the border of gaza 20:09  |  vik 12/10/09
  68.   silvienne 20:18  |  zoe 12/10/09
  69.   Amazing guys.... 20:19  |  Eric 12/10/09
  70.   TRUE HEROS 20:24  |  TRUE HEROS 12/10/09
  71.   12th graders 20:29  |  zoe 12/10/09
  72.   Do u think every1 will follow blindly 20:33  |  Chicago 12/10/09
  73.   Baruch Gold and His Misunderstanding 20:34  |  Yakov Sullivan 12/10/09
  74.   61 20:39  |  zoe 12/10/09
  75.   refuse to serve in zionist army 20:39  |  none 12/10/09
  76.   Great democracy 20:47  |  kibishi 12/10/09
  77.   They feel safe on the basis of blood of soldiers who served 20:53  |  Israeli citizen 12/10/09
  78.   Surely in a democracy 20:58  |  Chris Linthwaite 12/10/09
  79.   True courage 20:58  |  wibism 12/10/09
  80.   Refuse to serve 20:58  |  amnon 12/10/09
  81.   War defenders full of hatred. They can?t se the depth of the idée 21:03  |  Mikael 12/10/09
  82.   There is a chicken born every minute! 21:03  |  Murray of Montreal 12/10/09
  83.   Chris Linthwait (#78) tell that to the Americans who were sent to 21:28  |  Gil 12/10/09
  84.   Refusal to serve = end of the conflict 21:49  |  UmmEinav 12/10/09
  85.   baruch hashem 23:14  |  shlomo 12/10/09
  86.   Refuse to serve 02:00  |  Kahuna 13/10/09
  87.   Shministim 02:02  |  yuval 13/10/09
  88.   And when 03:23  |  Rab Burns 13/10/09
  89.   Bravo 04:32  |  peacelover 13/10/09
  90.   88 Righteous Persons 05:47  |  Richard Pearce 13/10/09
  91.   #82 Murray "there is a chicken" blah, blah 17:09  |  ballistic 13/10/09
  92.   Did any of you bother to read the names in the letter? 18:43  |  *BEN JABO 13/10/09
  93.   #78 LInthwaite - That`s not true at all 19:09  |  *BEN JABO 13/10/09
  94.   #90 Richard Pearce 19:28  |  *BEN JABO 13/10/09
  95.   #85 Shlomo - NY You don`t know aht you`re talkinjg about 19:31  |  *BENJ ABO 13/10/09
  96.   Yaakov Sullivan didn`t bother to read the Petition 19:38  |  *BEN JABO 13/10/09
  97.   #12 Neville Chamberrlian - You forgot 19:44  |  *BEN JABO 13/10/09
  98.   #92, BEN-JABO, did you ? 04:57  |  VIPER 14/10/09
  99.   Refusal?? 09:10  |  MR 14/10/09
  100.   there is hope in youth 15:42  |  Shana 14/10/09
  101.   THIRD TRY VIPER - Yes, I did!!! 17:19  |  *BEN JABO 15/10/09
Special Offers
Advertisement
Eldan Rent a Car
Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on online reservations
Date Local Jewish Singles
Ready to meet your match? Join Jdate today!
Junkyard
Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt
More Headlines
20:15 Defense Minister: Israel, U.S. must draft Mideast peace plan
20:21 Iran blames 'satanic' U.S. for suicide attack, vows revenge
20:19 Finance Minister: UN backing of Goldstone report is `anti-Semitic`
19:59 Rishon Letzion family of 6 laid to rest day after murdered at home
19:49 Study: Arab-U.S. trade unharmed by anti-Bush sentiments
18:09 Report: Israeli cafe boycotts Turkish coffee amid tensions
16:45 Israeli designers strut their stuff at L.A. fashion show
09:19 TV ROUND-UP: Family of 6 brutally murdered; Olmert heckled in Chicago
15:19 Report: IDF espionage devices uncovered in south Lebanon
19:39 Israel mulls perks for professors to stymie brain drain
18:39 Thai billboard featuring Hitler causes diplomatic flap
13:25 Abbas popularity dips over response to Goldstone Gaza report
13:51 Gaza militants fire Qassam into southern Israel
09:06 Coming soon to Israel: Berlusconi and his topless beauties
Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Site rules |
| Advert: Recommended Restaurants | Makom: Engaging on Israel
| Search engine marketing
Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved