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Editor: 

For a year and a half Israel and the Palestinians have been locked in a bloody embrace of mutual terrorism.  

As the toll of slaughter and destruction has mounted there have been few heroes on either side. Until now. 

Last month 53 frontline combat soldiers in the Israeli Army publicly announced their refusal to “dominate, expel, starve and humiliate an entire people” in the Occupied Territories. Bearing witness that they have been issued commands “that had the sole purpose of perpetuating” Israeli control over the Palestinian people, they declared that they would take no part in the Army’s “missions of occupation and oppression.”  

During the past few weeks an additional 200 soldiers have added their names to this declaration. They have demonstrated rare courage, stepping out of the lockstep march of violence and hatred – refusing to shoulder arms against children in the name of children. Men and women of goodwill can read the soldiers’ statement of principle and sign a petition of support online at www.seruv.org. 

Joseph Stein 

Berkeley