Conscientious objector Yonatan Shapira questioned by Shin Bet
Non-active Israel Air Force pilot who authored the "pilots' letter" of 2003, signed by 27 IAF pilots who said they would refuse to fly over the occupied territories.
By Amira Hass Tags: Israel news IAF Shin BetThe Shin Bet security service on Sunday questioned a conscientious objector about his activity in an Israeli group that supports sanctions against Israel as part of its struggle against the occupation.
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Yonatan Shapira, the airman who wrote the 2003 “pilots’ letter.” |
| Photo by: Yanai Yehiel |
Yonatan Shapira, 38, a non-active Israel Air Force pilot who authored the "pilots' letter" of 2003, signed by 27 IAF pilots who said they would refuse to fly over the occupied territories, said he was instructed not to disclose any details from the interview.
Shapira told the agent he publishes everything regarding his anti-occupation activity and intended to publish this interview as well as any future ones in full detail, he told Haaretz.
He said he received the impression that this troubled his interrogator, who asked for the piece of paper he was writing on because it was "a recording device and is not legal."
Shapira gave her the paper but after leaving the building wrote down the questions from memory. The agent reminded Shapira the Knesset was expected shortly to outlaw calls for sanctions against Israel, he said.
He said the Shin Bet called him on Sunday at noon, while he was visiting friends in Tel Aviv.
"The caller said she was from the Shin Bet and that she wanted to talk to me," he said. "I asked what it was about and she said it wasn't for the phone. I said if anyone was listening to us it was only them, but she insisted we meet and that it was not an interrogation."
Attorney Gaby Lasky advised Shapira to ask at the interview whether he was considered a suspect and told him he did not have to say anything because such a meeting constituted a political interrogation even if the Shin Bet called it a conversation.
Shapira consulted with Yonatan Polak, who has been summoned many times for Shin Bet interrogations about his activity in the popular committees against the separation fence.
Polak told Haaretz that many of the Israeli participants in demonstrations against the separation barrier have been called in by the Shin Bet for questioning.
Shapira's meeting with the agent took place in the rear building of the police station on Dizengoff Street, not far from his friends' place. A security guard conducted a body search ("quite an intimate one", Shapira wrote on Facebook ), explaining he was checking to make sure Shapira wasn't hiding any recording devices.
The agent said something along the lines of "we wanted to meet you because recently we see you've been very active," Shapira said. He asked whether he was suspected of anything and she said he wasn't, that this was not an investigation and that she "only wanted to talk."
Almost immediately, Shapira related, she began talking about his activity in Global BDS Movement: Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions for Palestine, which supports measures against Israel. She asked what he did exactly, whether it was a Palestinian organization and what he knew about it and its activities.
Shapira said he told her that everything she asked was public knowledge, available on the Internet and in the press. He said he would be happy to deliver a public lecture about BDS to the Shin Bet and the police but would not conduct a political discussion in a Shin Bet interrogation room.
The agent asked if he knew the protests he took part in were illegal, in light of the Israel Defense Forces having declared the area a closed military area on Friday.
When he did not reply, she talked about the graffiti slogans, "Liberate all ghettos" and "Free Gaza and Palestine," spray-painted by Israeli and pro-Palestinian activists on a remnant of the Warsaw Ghetto last week.
She asked Shapira, who was one of the activists, whether the graffiti was his idea, whether it had anything to do with BDS and whether he did not understand that he "crossed a line and hurt many people's feelings" with his action.
Shapira said that he repeated his offer to discuss the issues in public and told the agent that for now she could get all the information from media interviews he had given.
When asked if the Shin Bet was bugging his phone, the agent first said she could not answer, then said, "You won't talk about BDS, why should I tell you?" When he asked her, "If I talk, will you tell?," she said no.
The Shin Bet said in a response that it is authorized, as part of its duty to preserve state security and democracy from terror threats, sabotage, subversion and espionage to receive and to gather information, and that Shapira was told clearly that the meeting was not an interrogation and that he was not considered a suspect.
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Shapira´s courage and moral integrity is something others ( including myself) can only hope for... a true hero!
with people like jonatan shapira there is still hope for israel. cheers.
Avoid your knee jerk reactions and check out the web sites of the boycott group that Shapira supports. Their demands relate to 1948 Israel - their web sites show a map of only one country in Eretz Yisrael, and that is Arab Palestine. Shapira is aiding enemies of Israel.
Bless you, ben Adam
what a shame!!!
when fighting terrorists.,don't use big planes,big ships,big tanks,big artillery.that's for fighting everything around,sometimes maybe including those terrorists hidden in the orange grove.
Peace will only come through freedom--freedom for all people. One cannot deny this truth for another human being without damaging one's own humanity. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
It sounds to me as if Shapira is a conscientious objector who is working openly to oppose Israel's occupation. Those Israelis who label him a criminal should remind themselves that that is how he would probably be described if he was living in a dictatorship. It is people like them, with the backing of the current government, who are helping turn the state into one.
about things that are not even crimes? No wonder there are so few cases solved involving terrorism by settlers and other Kahanists against Pals. Shin Bet is too busy investigating non-violent non-crimes! Yonatan is a very brave, smart and principled person. Israel needs more like him.
Learn the history, jews have always been in the land of Israel and i'm not talking about biblical times.
Jews alwas have been in the land of Israel and they have even been there 1400 years as a minority below Muslims, who had been there since islam exists. And they could live there preserve their holy sites and follow there religion without serious troubles. It seems Muslims have been more tolerant, than right wing Jews of our days are.
That's a neat phrase: 'a minority below Muslims'. In reality life for Jews in Moslem lands was ghastly. Life for Muslims in right wing Israel is not bad at all, otherwise they would leave instead of coming here to live.
Not all Israselis are right wing, and there is still a supreme court and eventhough there is an obvious erosion of democracy, Israel still is one. Democracy is a young development in history. But if those right wing natinalists, hill-top youth gangs etc. would do want they wanted to do, without any respect on international reputations - frankly sad - I do not want that to imagine, what would happen.
Life of Jews in Palestine was through the ages no doubt far better, than Life of Palestinians below Israeli Military Occupation, lasting for more than 40 years now. Israel declared today to the United Nations that they officially do not feel bound to respect the Human Rights within the occupied territories. Well that was an open word.
Djuli, we have a massive disagreement over facts. These can be checked and will reveal that Turkish rule was horrible for Jews in Palestine. We also disagree over something else: I claim the land of Israel belongs, in a national sense, to the people of Israel. The Arabs have their own lands. The fact that they choose to stay in Israel is a testament to the good treatment in Israel and the mess in Arab lands. You may feel that the land of Israel belongs to the Arabs, but that is not a defensible position morally, historically or legally.
most of the historic times israelis- jews had been a minority and other powers ruled the country/
For what he did in Warsaw Ghetto ! No forgiveness.
Yes. It's what Yonatan Shapira did in the Warsaw Ghetto that is the problem! LOL
Shapira is my hero
Only in Israel would a law enforcement agency let a criminal go free. I can't name a country where a type like Yonatan Shapira would not be arrested and charged. Dear Shin Bet ! Please wake up and put Yonatan Shapira to the only place he belongs - JAIL !!!
The Global BDS movement explicitly demands the 'return' of Arab refugees to pre-1967 Israel. By promoting this group the gentleman is supporting the destruction of Israel as a Jewish State.
And the man should be force fed a daily diet which includes mandatory reading of Hamas's charter and the PLO constitution which came into being in 1964 BEFORE the six day war and has never been formally revoked.
Traitor
Zionist
He's like Von Stauffenberg, a traitor to his country. And like Von Stauffenberg, he was and will remain a hero who fought on the right side of justice against evil.
Irish Catholic
A Zionist in the most derogatory way!
and thinks its a dirty word hahahahaha Mary a Zionist is someone who believes that Jews deserve to have a State of their own and they have Israel You do not belong in the territories eating zeitun and handouts go back to the states as we ARabs do not need you ISM HAG
Go home you dont belong in the territories your meddling has long oulived its welcome with the arabs here bye Mary and kiss ISM the misguided group bye bye
.bagszat
Very few bigots would be as explicit as you and use an person's religion and nationality as an insult.
As am I. Although I don't agree with the man's tactics, I agree with his feelings. Tough love is a tactic of saving those you love. Yonatan has contributed a great deal to the defence of the state as well as being sent on criminal missions in it's name. He is doing what he feels he needs to because Zionism does not belong only polarizing right wing. Israel and Zionism must be saved from itself.
It's completely imperative that every right-minded, peace and fairness wanting person shows support to these pilots. Because the stance that they have taken is not a popular one, especially when one takes into account their profession and where they are from. If dissenters such as these pilots feel isolated and unsupported, it will make the just cause weaker, limper. I commend this group for their courageous and moral position.
I applaude his courage
They see the wrongs and they know the solutions ,2 states , share E. jerusalem and West Bank but not the political will to carry it out.
what... you think they are all going to pack it up and come "home". no chance for 2 states any longer
You are absolutely right. These settlers are the silver platter upon which the one state of Palestine will come about. In spite the fact that all their mezzuzas are kosher.
The most controversial clause in Resolution 242 is the call for the "Withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict." This is linked to the second unambiguous clause calling for "termination of all claims or states of belligerency" and the recognition that "every State in the area" has the "right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force." The resolution does not make Israeli withdrawal a prerequisite for Arab action. Moreover, it does not specify how much territory Israel is required to give up. The Security Council did not say Israel must withdraw from "all the" territories occupied after the Six-Day war. This was quite deliberate. The Soviet delegate wanted the inclusion of those words and said that their exclusion meant "that part of these territories can remain in Israeli hands." The Arab states pushed for the word "all" to be included, but this was rejected. They nevertheless asserted that they would read the resolution as if it included the word "all." The British Ambassador who drafted the approved resolution, Lord Caradon, declared after the vote: "It is only the resolution that will bind us, and we regard its wording as clear." This literal interpretation was repeatedly declared to be the correct one by those involved in drafting the resolution. On October 29, 1969, for example, the British Foreign Secretary told the House of Commons the withdrawal envisaged by the resolution would not be from "all the territories." When asked to explain the British position later, Lord Caradon said: "It would have been wrong to demand that Israel return to its positions of June 4, 1967, because those positions were undesirable and artificial." Similarly, Amb. Goldberg explained: "The notable omissions-which were not accidental-in regard to withdrawal are the words 'the' or 'all' and 'the June 5, 1967 lines'....the resolution speaks of withdrawal from occupied territories without defining the extent of withdrawal."
Fine! They can pay taxes to the State of Palestine, and be prosecuted for stealing another person's land. etc.
haifa is in the geen line demarcatio nof israel considered by the international l community the recognized borders until a peace treaty is signed/
Shapira inspired many neo nazis such as those who sprayed anti semitic grafiti on the grave of a Polish heroine who saved 2500 Jewish children. Haaretz was too lazy and uninterested to publish this!! Shapira should be prosecuted for this disgusting act and indeed Amira Hass shows that she is more loyal to Arabs than to Jews!! Where is her article about lack of womens rights in the Gaza strip for instance or the rape of activists in Bilin?
Mr Arthur, don't you get it that the the abuse in the occupied teritories, make some Israelies to speakout.!!!
Shapira is a shameless self-hater who desecrated a World War II memorial in Poland. Polish authorities should have arrested him and his Polish cohort for vandalism. I don't know why no action was taken against the two of them. gggggentgentile genit
Quite frankly, I never heard of him. He goes under the title of "refusenik", who are considered traitors, publicity seekers whose illegal immoral activities are motivated by European money. That's what the common Israeli street thinks of the refusniks. They are heldin contempt and largely forgotten by now. They earn much money in Europe, in anti semitic and anti Zionists lectures and activities, I hope they'll enjoy their money in Europe and stay there. In Israel they are burnt out and forgotten.
There isn't money in refusing. You can't get jobs, you struggle in society because of people like you. If you haven't noticed, most of them (like Yonatan) COME BACK to Israel to try to change this society...unlike the Zionist support-network which has now devolved to a US based organization. IF you haven't "heard" of Yonatan, then I guess you don't watch MAJOR NETWORK NEWS.
Any members of groups that side with our enemies should be at least interviewed to see if they have connection to militant organizations.
goading people to commit crimes, intimidating peaceful protestors, arresting people who have nothing to do with violent crimes and letting the people who DO have something to do with them go... what's going on over there?
,a notorious anti-Israel scribe ,who had also tried to enter Israel on forged passport ?
Read The Rise And Fall of the Third Reich by William L. Shjirer.
Remember the libel laws in this country, my embattled Swedish Zionist. Where is your evidence that Eva attempted to enter Israel on a forged passport?
Like when Britain stoonewalled during investigation of the Tel Aviv "Mike Place" restaurant bombing by 2 Brits..Had she not done it ,the London Tube bombings might have not happened-the bombers came from the same Pakistani circles in Britain from which the TA bombers had come. Jasienski was expelled from Israel for using a fake name trying to enter Israel after she had previously been expelled from there using her own name. That the Foreign Office issued her with the ID obviously designed to cheat Israelis(she's kept name Jasienski in all other dealings ) only prove how duplicitious Brit Authorithies are. Not only with regard to Israel btw ,the Christmas Bomber was allowed into an American plane only because Brits hadn't alerted their EU partners he had been denied continuing with his residency and studies in London because of lingering suspicions about him . And Woody ,one more sound advice to you-don't believe your doctor when he tells you you DON*T have prostata cancer. Especially if he speaks with a Scottish accent-obviously they don't know so much about prostata..