Israeli citizens who refuse to serve in the IDF in Judea and Samaria have asked the Supreme Court to recognize their refusal as legal - but have so far received a surprising response from Chief Justice Aharon Barak.
Barak told Atty. Avigdor Feldman at yesterday's court session that he was having trouble seeing a difference between "refusal to evacuate outposts" and "refusal to serve in Yesha." Feldman said, "IDF actions kill innocent civilians, in violation of a supreme universal value, while evacuating outposts does not involve a universal value." Judge Barak objected: "It's not so simple, because the bonds between a person and his land are also a supreme universal value."
Barak also asked why the plaintiffs do not ask to serve in the army in locations without direct contact with local Arab population. Feldman said, "This was never offered to them." An attorney for the State said, "This is political delinquency. They do not realize where Israeli society is liable to be dragged by refusals of this nature."
Barak told Atty. Avigdor Feldman at yesterday's court session that he was having trouble seeing a difference between "refusal to evacuate outposts" and "refusal to serve in Yesha." Feldman said, "IDF actions kill innocent civilians, in violation of a supreme universal value, while evacuating outposts does not involve a universal value." Judge Barak objected: "It's not so simple, because the bonds between a person and his land are also a supreme universal value."
Barak also asked why the plaintiffs do not ask to serve in the army in locations without direct contact with local Arab population. Feldman said, "This was never offered to them." An attorney for the State said, "This is political delinquency. They do not realize where Israeli society is liable to be dragged by refusals of this nature."