Sixty-two Israeli teens from around the country said Wednesday morning they would refuse to serve in the “terrorist” Israeli army, reported the Jerusalm Post, citing Army Radio.
In a letter to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, the group wrote that they could not agree to be drafted into an army committing crimes in the Occupied Territories.
The teens said they believed the Israeli military was participating in terrorist operations against Palestinian targets, and that Israeli security could only be obtained via diplomatic efforts.
Education Minister Limor Livnat was quoted by the radio as saying in response that the group represented a small population of youth “which does not know how to differentiate between victim and attacker.”
The Israeli army and Jewish settlers have killed more than 600 Palestinians in an attempt to quell the year-old uprising against 34 years of Israeli occupation. Among the victims are roughly 100 children and about 50 Palestinian leaders and activists killed in a declared assassination policy – Albawaba.com
