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Israeli Youths Vow to Refuse Participation in IDF Terrorism

The following letter, written by Israeli Shiministim (12th graders), was sent to Israeli PM Ariel Sharon on 3 Sep. 2001. The list of signers was update on 30 Apr. 2002

see signatories below

originally posted 19 Aug. 2001

To: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon

We the undersigned, youths who grew up and were brought up in Israel, are about to be called to serve in the IDF. We protest before you against the aggressive and racist policy pursued by the Israeli government's and its army, and to inform you that we do not intend to take part in the execution of this policy.

We strongly resist Israel's pounding of human rights. Land expropriation, arrests, executions without a trial, house demolition, closure, torture, and the prevention of health care are only some of the crimes the state of Israel carries out, in blunt violation of international conventions it has ratified.
These actions are not only illegitimate; they do not even achieve their stated goal – increasing the citizens’ personal safety. Such safety will be achieved only through a just peace agreement between the Israeli government and the Palestinian people.

Therefore we will obey our conscience and refuse to take part in acts of oppression against the Palestinian people, acts that should properly be called terrorist actions. We call upon persons our age, conscripts, soldiers in the standing army, and reserve service soldiers to do the same.

Signers:

Shir Alon
Uri Amit
Iris Arielli
Guy Arnon
Rotem Avgar
Nave Avimor
Yael Aydan
Littal Bar
Ofir Bar
Michal Bar-Orr
Nimrod Barne'a
Yosi Bartal
Uri Barahav
Yoni Ben-Dor
Carmel Ben-Tzur
Reut Ben-Tzur
Itamar Ben-Zaken
Mel Bergman
Hadas Bick
Dror Boymel
Asaf Bron
Yoni Cohen
Ra'am Cohen
Alon Elkin
Yemima Fink
Hamutal Fleischer
Daniella Freund
Sol Gelman
Shira Gertner
Asaf Gilam
Daniel Gilboa
Maya Gluttman
Daniella Goel
Roi Golan
Hadas Goldman
Hillel Goral
Itay Grinstein
Hen Guttman
Misha Hadar
Idan Hadash
Yoav Hertz
Yair Hilo
Shir Hizek
Maor Hoyman
Gilad Itamar
Matan Kaminer
Francesca Katz
Re'ut Katz
No'ah Kaufman
Yoval Kojman
Ziv Kraus
Gil Kremer
Asaf Kutzin
Dana Laor
Tali Lerner
Jacky Levi
No'ah Levi
Tia Levi
Osnat Longman
Adam Maor
Ayelet Ma'oz
Efi Mas

Tal Matalon
Haggai Mattar
Amir Melanki
Yotam Menuhin
Aya Michlin
Liora Milo
Mor Mindel
Mor Mittelman
Omer Nevo
Tamar Nishri
Noah Olchovski
Uriah Oren
Noah Orgad
Elad Orr
Naomi Safran-Hod
Tamar Setter
Yael Skilevski
May Omer Spiltzki
Almog Pa'il
Layl Patishi
Tal Paz
Guy Peled
Ya'el Polak
Nadav Porat
Ra'anan Porschner
Gali Rabinovich
Elisha Rahman
Tal Rahman
Temuna' Raz
Ataliah Reznik
Yuri Ronen
Yigal Rosenberg
Lihi Rothschild
Hadas Shalem
Shlomit Shalit
Ori Shamgar
Asher Shechter
Moran Shemesh
Daniel Ya'ara Shenhav
Nitzan Shlush
Asaf Shtul-Trauring
Adi Sneider
Amit Stark
Hila Tal
Roi Tov
Shimri Tzameret
Alon Tziv'oni
Yonatan Tzvik
Shani Verner
Li-Orr Vered
Uri Ya'akobi
Gal Ya'akobi
Avi Ya'akov
Emily Ya'akov
Maya Yaniv
Rotem Yaniv
Guy Yarimi
Yoni Yehezkel
Alma Yitzhaki
Neta Zalmanson
Amir Zemer