IDF officers from the Adam military training installation met with Commander of IDF Ground Forces, Major-General Yiftah Ron-Tal Wednesday, informing him that many of the soldiers under their command would refuse to carry out orders to expel Jews from their homes. This, according to a report in today’s Yediot Aharonot Hebrew daily.
According to the report, one company commander from the Haruv battalion told Ron-Tal: “I have many soldiers in my company who say point-blank that they are unable to carry out an evacuation order.”
Maj.-Gen. Ron-Tal reiterated that the IDF would not tolerate the phenomenon of disobeying orders. “There is a political struggle and I understand that people want to influence the political decisions, and in a democratic country that is fine. It must be done, though, working within the law,” he told reporters Wednesday.
“The most important thing in my eyes is not to bring the IDF into this controversy,” added Ron-Tal, “There are elements that are trying hard to bring the IDF into this, but we will try with all our strength to make sure that it doesn’t happen. Bringing the army into this struggle could have a dramatic negative effect on the security of this country and we will not lend support to such a thing.”
Some of the 34 IDF officers who declared their opposition to soldiers being placed in the position of having to choose between their moral and religious beliefs were relieved of their posts last week.
Kedumim Mayor Daniella Weiss, head of one of the largest communities in Samaria, has openly called on soldiers to refuse expulsion orders, echoing a call by leading religious-Zionist Rabbi Avraham Shapira, a former Chief Rabbi.
A soldier who called upon the members of his IDF unit to refuse to destroy two homes in the Yesha community of Yitzhar last week was released from IDF jail Wednesday evening after the Supreme Court ruled he had not received a fair trial. The soldier insisted that the expulsion of Jews from their homes constituted an illegal order.
According to the report, one company commander from the Haruv battalion told Ron-Tal: “I have many soldiers in my company who say point-blank that they are unable to carry out an evacuation order.”
Maj.-Gen. Ron-Tal reiterated that the IDF would not tolerate the phenomenon of disobeying orders. “There is a political struggle and I understand that people want to influence the political decisions, and in a democratic country that is fine. It must be done, though, working within the law,” he told reporters Wednesday.
“The most important thing in my eyes is not to bring the IDF into this controversy,” added Ron-Tal, “There are elements that are trying hard to bring the IDF into this, but we will try with all our strength to make sure that it doesn’t happen. Bringing the army into this struggle could have a dramatic negative effect on the security of this country and we will not lend support to such a thing.”
Some of the 34 IDF officers who declared their opposition to soldiers being placed in the position of having to choose between their moral and religious beliefs were relieved of their posts last week.
Kedumim Mayor Daniella Weiss, head of one of the largest communities in Samaria, has openly called on soldiers to refuse expulsion orders, echoing a call by leading religious-Zionist Rabbi Avraham Shapira, a former Chief Rabbi.
A soldier who called upon the members of his IDF unit to refuse to destroy two homes in the Yesha community of Yitzhar last week was released from IDF jail Wednesday evening after the Supreme Court ruled he had not received a fair trial. The soldier insisted that the expulsion of Jews from their homes constituted an illegal order.