B'Tselem presentation
B'Tselem presentationReuters

The Yisrael Beiteinu party responded to the campaign of the radical left-wing organization B'Tselem calling on IDF soldiers on the Gaza border to refuse orders.

"The radical left-wing organization B'Tselem is breaking all records. This is not a ‘campaign,’ but rather a campaign for refusing orders and rebellion. Therefore, according to article 136 of the Penal Law which deals with rebellion, MK Oded Forer [Yisrael Beytenu] turned to the Attorney General and demanded that an investigation be opened against the organization. The radical left-wing organization B'tselem is acting as a fifth column, and not for the first time. They are mercenaries who incite against Israel for money. "

MK Avi Dichter (Likud), chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said that "B'Tselem today launched a campaign calling on soldiers to refuse orders. I despise those who always explain what not to do. They should come out for once and say what, in their opinion, should be done, and then their true face will finally be revealed…”

MK Revital Swid (Zionist Union), deputy speaker of the Knesset, responded: "B'Tselem is causing IDF soldiers to rebel. It is forbidden to obey a blatantly illegal order, but it is equally forbidden to show an unforgivable naivety for Hamas' very not naive attempt to infiltrate the border. "she said.

B'Tselem announced today, Wednesday, a new campaign calling on IDF soldiers stationed on the Gaza Strip border to refuse orders and not to open fire at Arabs who riot in Gaza and are unarmed.

"In anticipation of the upcoming demonstrations this coming Friday, the organization reiterates that shooting at unarmed demonstrators is illegal and that orders to carry out such shooting are clearly illegal," the organization said in a statement.

The poster accompanying the campaign read: "Sorry, sir, I am not shooting."

The bottom part of the announcement warns soldiers that, while responsibility for the orders lies with higher-ranking military officials, “obeying [the orders] is a criminal offense, and it is your duty to refuse orders.”