Israeli Military Reservists Declare Refuse to Serve

Amidst "Brutal Operation in Our Name," Israeli Military Reservists Declare Refuse to Serve




As Israel pledges to continue the assault on Gaza for "as long as is required," we are joined by two Israelis who have refused to serve in their country's military reserves. On Tuesday, the Washington Post ran an open letter authored by Yael Even Or titled, "We are Israeli reservists. We refuse to serve," announcing that more than 50 former Israeli soldiers have signed a petition declaring their refusal to be part of the Israeli military reserves. "This petition, long in the making, has a special urgency because of the brutal military operation now taking place in our name," Even Or writes. An Israeli journalist and activist who evaluated candidates for the Israeli army's recruitment department during her service, Even Or is now a graduate student in International Affairs at The New School in New York City. She join us to discuss the reservists' letter. We are also joined from Tel Aviv by Yonatan Shapira, a former Israeli captain and air force pilot, who in 2003 spearheaded a letter signed by 27 Israeli pilots who refused to participate in military operations against Palestinians.