Public Comment

It is gratifying that more and more courageous Israelis are stepping forward and publicly denouncing the appalling treatment of Palestinians under the crippling, suffocating occupation. The latest refuseniks are veterans from an elite secretive intelligence unit that have publicly declared they will no longer “take part in the state’s immoral actions against Palestinians because of what they call “our moral duty to act.”  

43 veterans of the super-secret Unit 8200 complained the information collected is used for political persecution and is used to oppress innocent people fueling the never ending conflict. They stated that under the present occupation it is impossible for Palestinians to “lead normal lives.” The letter was published in Israel’s Yediot Aharonot newspaper as well as The Guardian in Britain and reflects a growing disenchantment within the Israeli Defense Forces. Earlier, a group of 27 pilots refused orders of targeted assassinations inspired by the actions of another 13 members of commando unit Sayeret who refused targeted killings. A spokesperson of Unit 8200 described Israel as a “nondemocratic, oppressive regime that controls the lives of millions of people.” They complained bitterly that they were forced to perform actions which were “highly immoral” and had nothing to do with self-defense.