IDF troops hang sign at base: We won't evacuate settlers
Move comes month after soldiers from same brigade waved pro-settler banners during graduation ceremony.
By Chaim Levinson Tags: Israel news Israel settlers IDFA number of Israel Defense Forces from the Nachshon Battalion on Monday hung a sign at their basis proclaiming that their unit would refuse to evacuate Israelis from West Bank settlements.
The move comes nearly a month after soldiers from the Shimshon Battalion waved banners with the same message during their graduation ceremony in Jerusalem. Two soldiers were expelled from their brigade and given 20 days in military prison following that incident.
The leader of the anti-settlement Peace Now movement, Yariv Oppenheimer, accused certain settler leaders of "prompting a rebellion within the IDF and endangering Israeli society."
"Right-wing leaders and all government parties must speak out against this phenomenon before the army loses control of its soldiers," said Oppenheimer.
Extreme rightist Itamar Ben Gvir said meanwhile that the anti-evacuation movement was picking up steam among settlers.
The Shimshon and Nachshon Battalions are both part of the Kfir Brigade, set up to battle Palestinian guerrillas in the West Bank. Such duties have diminished amid a law-and-order drive by Abbas's U.S.-backed administration, which wants to project power in the face of the rival Hamas Islamists now ruling Gaza.
Kfir has been under military investigation for several high-profile cases where Palestinian civilians complained of abuse by the brigade. Its former commander was reprimanded for sanctioning use of force during questioning of suspects.
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"i`m still in, and i don`t need to hear it" Still in what?
and spare us your military history in response, ben... i'm still in, and i don't need to hear it.
But, neither of you have had the guts to do anything physical about it Just typing, typing, typing Dutch promised to go and help out, still remains in hiding Eric still tells his Bubba Meises, thinking he's impressing someone or other Both fakers to their rotten cores
Nazi's also followed orders blindly, resulting in the slaugher of 60 million Lt. Calley at Mei Lei, remember him??
Remember when Hamas took over Gaza from Fatah, they were slaughtering each other in the streets Hamas also gave flying lessons to Fatah members, heaving them off rooftops Muslims kill each other all the time, Iran, Iraq & Afghanistan as reminders of recent events
Right on with your responses also! Just announce the date and let them uproot themselves! I imagine this is what other occupiers have done also. I can't recall reading about an occupier in-volved in relocation after withdrawal. In addition, all those settlers know their days are numbered so it shouldn't be any surprise... Dutch
"We don`t raise our hands against our brothers Harming one is like harming a member of your own family" Perhaps Palestinians feel the same way, Ben...
ever since i saw a picture of settlers on a hillside, with idf troops watching in the background, as they threw stones at a palestinian village below. it struck me that if the idf was taken out of the picture; the settlers wouldn't be there. it's that simple. no "forced" evacuations by israel are really necassary. offer incentives and assistance to those willing to move by a given date; after which no incentive is offered. set a subsequent date for complete withdrawal of the idf, and coordinate with the pa to provide instructions, eligibility criteria/responsibilities, and forms of application for citizenship, to be distributed to those remaining. then come that date, withdraw! those settlers still remaining by that time will either be those open to become citizens of the palestinian state, or they'll be those in open defiance of israeli policy who have willingly placed themselves outside of its protection. i've mentioned this ever since then, whenever the subject warrants, lol...but no one has ever responded to it. i don't think they like the idea of just how easy israel could manage it in good conscience, without force or the appearance of betrayal.
What's the fuss? They can stay there and be citizens of Palestine. If they want to make aliyah, make them an offer they can't refuse. Keep the soldiers out of it ! And Israeli security, electricity and water too. No problem, and no fights.
What is going to happen when these right wing religious radicals go from controlling just the army army as they do now, to controlling Israel's rogue nuclear arsenal as well?
We don't raise our hands against our brothers Harming one is like harming a member of your own family Kol Hakavod to our Chayalim with baytzim
"Just announce the date of troop withdrawal and they are on their own & stuck with becoming Palestinian citizens if they wish to stay" That'll do it! They'll leave the West Bank so fast the Palestinians will think they imagined them all these years!
Israel has never been and never will be a Western democracy.
Come on, enougyh with this crying over spilt milk! Israel engenders this phenomenon and they will have to deal with it. If they imprison those soldiers who refuse on basis of morality to not serve in roles of occupiers, then these black and tan troops in blue and white should be treated accordingly. The white elephant in the room no one is talking about is exactly this if and when Israel is pressured into moving toward peace which will entail giving up territory, it will tear israeli society apart. The fissures are already visible.
The recruits say they won't evacuate--ok send them home. Uh oh, what if they live in those settlements, ah ok, now they are Palestinians too.
Just announce the date of troop withdrawal and they are on their own & stuck with becoming Palestinian citizens if they wish to stay. Dutch
why would anyone need any soldiers to evacuate settlers?if one ever wanted to?this is a show,a tragi-comedy.it takes a few fingers to flip a few switches,and that's the end of settlement.of course the soldiers have crucial support from israel and u.s. governments,who are not about to evacuate anything.
Israel, Jewish fanatics and Palestinians. Only secular Israel gets money and support from US. Religious Jews and Palestinians fight for land - perfect solution.
Change is going to come when and only when the US starts turning off the financial tap -- and the US will only start turning off the financial tap when Israel loses the ability to conform to US demands as necessary. If Israel has a rogue military that ignores the orders of the leaders of the state, that will help to bring such a state of affairs about.
The entire world knows and the right wing now that once these settlers get facts on the ground it will be incredible diffuclt if not impossible to move them under any kind of peace deal... that is why the world has said stop all settlments now... you are just complicating any deal with the PA and making yourself a huge nightmare after any deal is signed
This is not surprising. On one hand you have right-wing Knesset members who regularly issue reckless statements about how settlements will never be removed. Then of course you have Israel's ambiguity when it comes to settlement policy--quietly build as much as you can until the international community complains.
The Pessimist in me: and so begins the breakup of the house of Israel; extremists draw us into an intractable conflict with the false hope that God will be on our side. The Optimist in me: Great. Leave the settlers there and withdraw our army to the 67 border. Let them become someone else's problem.
overthrows the government? Third world countries usually have mutiny's on a regular basis. Gets worrying when the troops of the IDF are now starting to drive government policy.
If the superior agrees, it's not mutiny.
Good! Assign this battalion first (to remove settlers) and when they refuse military orders, then ,move forward with military discipline. Is this an army or is this a day care?
The French settlers of Algeria endangered and then brought about the fall of the Fourth Republic but it was only thanks to de Gaulle that France was spared the ravages of civil war and France pulled out of Algeria (there were 1.5 million white French settlers in Algeria). de Gaulle averted the settler movement from taking over the army at the crucial moment and brough a crushing end to them without violence. Our breed of politicians are just slippery characters.
Let all secular IDF troops retreat to the Gush Dan and north and south periphery lands. The Chosen Israel Forces will deploy in the West bank and wait to retake the Gaza strip. Now all we need is a new Israel Chosen Forces Chief of Staff from the Shas party. EVERY BODY SATISFIED. HAL.
I'm all for freedom of expression. Every citizen, regardless of ethnicity or religious (or not) preference should be unhindered in expressing an opinion. The boundary is the military, where publicly expressed protest of state policy confuses soldiers and compromises their loyalty. Public protest for civilians is an underpinning of good governance. For a soldier swearing to protect the state it is the direct disrespect of military authority, a crime. It must be directly and immediately confronted, the perpetrators publicly punished, regardless of political affiliation, or protektzia. Taken a step further, any political party promoting military protest is guilty as well and should not be permitted representation in the government.
If these demonstrations are not stopped immediately via quick and very harsh punishment then our future does not look very bright.Lets see if our pollies have the backbone to nip this cancer in the bud.
G-d bless these young men and women!
a couple more years and the settlers will have infiltrated the army ranks enough to attempt a coup d'etat ...
If the land upon which settlers reside eventually becomes part of a Palestinian state, these settlers will become Palestinians. Palestinian Jews. Israel has Arabs. Palestine will have Jews. It's the same thing. Settlers,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, enjoy!!!