Dr. David Matar of Efrat was called for reserve duty this week, as he has been many times in the past 15 years, but this time, he will not be showing up. "I'm willing to stand trial," he told Ruti Avraham of IsraelNationalNews, "but I can no longer serve in the IDF. Even if they pass 1,000 'disengagement' laws in the Knesset, with the support of all 120 Knesset Members, and ratified by a referendum, the Supreme Court, the United Nations, and the U.S. State Department."



Dr. Matar said he sent a letter to this effect to the Commander of the IDF Personnel Corps, Maj.-Gen. Elazar Stern. Matar, whose wife Nadia is the co-chairperson of Women in Green, has served in his capacity as IDF Enlistment Bureau Medical Committee Chairman for 15 years - "usually for more than 30 days a year," he said. He is set to be released from reserve duty in January 2006.



Explaining his objections to the disengagement law, Dr. Matar wrote, "The word 'disengagement' is simply a euphemism for the forced expulsion of some 8,000 Jews from their homes and lives in Gush Katif and northern Shomron, as well as the uprooting and destruction of flowering Jewish communities, including their synagogues and cemeteries. The Prime Minister has entrusted the IDF with the overall responsibility for implementing the plan, even if the actual expulsion will be carried out by the Border Guard and the police. The army is seriously preparing for it, including planning, intelligence, training in fake settlements, building detention camps for people who will dare to resist, and declared willingness to use all means to repress the resistance of those who don't want to be uprooted and expelled."



"What this means is that the army has received an order to declare war on a group of innocent and loyal citizens, to define them as a target and an enemy, and to break into their homes in order to expel men, women and children. This is combat in every sense, with planned violence by the security forces against Jewish citizens. It will easily deteriorate into catastrophes such as occurred in the Altalena - and I'm not even mentioning the heavy losses on our side from Arab fire during and especially after the implementation of the plan. These are blatantly illegal orders, and it is forbidden to carry them out. The Israel Defense Force is designed to protect the People of Israel and the Land of Israel, and to fight the Arab enemy - and not Jewish brothers."



Dr. Matar also explained that as a religious man, he cannot accept orders that will force him to choose between his fundamental religious beliefs regarding the Torah commandments to settle the Land of Israel, and his loyalty to the State and the army. He said he would be happy to be put on trial, in order to be able to "raise my claims in a public forum of import, and thus persuade others to act likewise. Of course, if and when the Sharon plan is buried, I will be happy to return and serve in the army as in the past."