So says Noam Livnat, the driving force behind a grassroots movement to garner soldiers' signatures on an "I Won't Evict Jews" petition.
This morning, Women in Green representatives joined the campaign, signing up reserve soldiers on a declaration stating they would not be able to fulfill an order to evict Jews from their homes.
Among the slogans posted behind the sign-up booths at Jerusalem's Central Bus Station, reports Arutz-7's Ruti Avraham, were the following:
• "I won't take part in the expulsion of Jews – and that's how I'll prevent civil war."
• "I am a proud policeman/soldier. I'll never evict Jews."
• "To expel Jews from the Land of Israel? To give over the homeland to the enemy? Commander, I just can't do it."
• "To destroy Jewish towns? To destroy synagogues? To desecrate Jewish graves? Commander, I just can't do it."
Other organizations taking part in the campaign are Gamla Will Not Fall Again and Professors for a Strong Israel.
The declaration states, "We the undersigned are Jewish citizens in the State of Israel who serve as reserve soldiers in the IDF. We proudly fulfill our military service, aware of both the obligations and privilege involved in being partners to defending the Nation of Israel in its land and fighting its enemies. We see the plan of evacuation, destruction and expulsion as a national crime and catastrophe. It is forbidden to give such orders, which are blatantly illegal, and it is forbidden to fulfill them, even indirectly. We hereby declare that we will not lend our hand to their fulfillment." Each signatory provides his name, address, rank, personal army number and phone number.
In only an hour and a half, today's Jerusalem volunteers signed up 72 soldiers and reserve soldiers – plus another 85 people who said they would encourage their sons or relatives to refuse orders to evict Jews from their homes. "It's also important to note that many soldiers said things like, 'You can count on me,' and the like, but said they were afraid to actually sign their names," Women in Green head Nadia Matar said.
Close to 3,000 people have already signed their commitment not to fulfill these "blatantly illegal orders," according to Noam Livnat. "We know there are many more out there," he said, "and we are limited now only by our ability to get out there and sign them up. When we reach a critical mass, then we'll also be able to go to other areas, such as Tel Aviv and Gush Dan; the numbers will bring us publicity, and the publicity will bring more numbers. Our goal is to weaken the ranks of those who would carry out the disengagement, and to strengthen the 'Defensive Wall' forces to ensure that it never happens."
Asked how he would carry out the latter goal, Livnat – a teacher in a Shomron yeshiva and the youngest brother of Education Minister Limor Livnat – said, "We are encouraging people to move now, before it becomes harder, to Gush Katif. Especially young couples who don't have children who have to be taken out of school – now is the time. The problem is that there are not so many vacant apartments in Gush Katif, but we're working on that as well."
Today's volunteers also distributed pamphlets with the words of then-opposition MK Ariel Sharon in 1995: "As one who has served in the army for many years, I say that a soldier must fulfill orders. If he feels that the order given him is against his conscience, he must turn personally, and I emphasize 'personally,' and explain this to his commander – and be willing to bear the consequences.'"
This morning, Women in Green representatives joined the campaign, signing up reserve soldiers on a declaration stating they would not be able to fulfill an order to evict Jews from their homes.
Among the slogans posted behind the sign-up booths at Jerusalem's Central Bus Station, reports Arutz-7's Ruti Avraham, were the following:
• "I won't take part in the expulsion of Jews – and that's how I'll prevent civil war."
• "I am a proud policeman/soldier. I'll never evict Jews."
• "To expel Jews from the Land of Israel? To give over the homeland to the enemy? Commander, I just can't do it."
• "To destroy Jewish towns? To destroy synagogues? To desecrate Jewish graves? Commander, I just can't do it."
Other organizations taking part in the campaign are Gamla Will Not Fall Again and Professors for a Strong Israel.
The declaration states, "We the undersigned are Jewish citizens in the State of Israel who serve as reserve soldiers in the IDF. We proudly fulfill our military service, aware of both the obligations and privilege involved in being partners to defending the Nation of Israel in its land and fighting its enemies. We see the plan of evacuation, destruction and expulsion as a national crime and catastrophe. It is forbidden to give such orders, which are blatantly illegal, and it is forbidden to fulfill them, even indirectly. We hereby declare that we will not lend our hand to their fulfillment." Each signatory provides his name, address, rank, personal army number and phone number.
In only an hour and a half, today's Jerusalem volunteers signed up 72 soldiers and reserve soldiers – plus another 85 people who said they would encourage their sons or relatives to refuse orders to evict Jews from their homes. "It's also important to note that many soldiers said things like, 'You can count on me,' and the like, but said they were afraid to actually sign their names," Women in Green head Nadia Matar said.
Close to 3,000 people have already signed their commitment not to fulfill these "blatantly illegal orders," according to Noam Livnat. "We know there are many more out there," he said, "and we are limited now only by our ability to get out there and sign them up. When we reach a critical mass, then we'll also be able to go to other areas, such as Tel Aviv and Gush Dan; the numbers will bring us publicity, and the publicity will bring more numbers. Our goal is to weaken the ranks of those who would carry out the disengagement, and to strengthen the 'Defensive Wall' forces to ensure that it never happens."
Asked how he would carry out the latter goal, Livnat – a teacher in a Shomron yeshiva and the youngest brother of Education Minister Limor Livnat – said, "We are encouraging people to move now, before it becomes harder, to Gush Katif. Especially young couples who don't have children who have to be taken out of school – now is the time. The problem is that there are not so many vacant apartments in Gush Katif, but we're working on that as well."
Today's volunteers also distributed pamphlets with the words of then-opposition MK Ariel Sharon in 1995: "As one who has served in the army for many years, I say that a soldier must fulfill orders. If he feels that the order given him is against his conscience, he must turn personally, and I emphasize 'personally,' and explain this to his commander – and be willing to bear the consequences.'"