Published 29/05/2025 08:06 | Edited 29/05/2025 08:41
A group of more than 1,200 Israeli Defense Forces officers (IDF), including members of the Air Force in Active and Reserve, signed an open letter on Tuesday (28) demanding the end of the war in Gaza.
In the text, the signatories accuse the government of conducting a war of political motivation, state that the continuity of the conflict contradicts national security and warns of the possibility of war crimes.
“Continuing the war goes against the willingness of the overwhelming majority of the population, will result in the death of hostages, soldiers of the FDI and innocent civilians, and may even lead to the practice of war crimes,” says the document, according to the newspaper report Haaretz.
The letter also denounces that the real objective of the military operation would be to “prepare the occupation of Gaza and implement the messianic view of a small minority of Israeli society.”
Military dissent gains strength
The authors of this new letter are the same ones that had already written a public statement last month with similar content. At the time, about 1,000 Air Force members signed the document, some of which were dismissed from the reserve service after decision of the Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir.
The repression, however, did not brace the movement: weeks later, another 1,500 veterans of elite units and infantry added to the appeal for the end of the war and the immediate return of hostages.
This week, a new episode marked the internal crisis in IDF. The 26 -year -old Captain Ron Feoter refused to continue serving after more than 270 days of missions as Nahal brigade commander.
Arrested for 20 days, he stated to be horrified by the war before being led to military prison. “I am horrified by the endless war, the neglect of hostages and the relentless death of innocent. The prison will not silence me or intimidate me,” he said.
Social Cry and Criticism of the Netanyahu Government
The publication of the letter takes place at the 600 -day symbolic landmark of the Israeli offensive against Gaza, which began in October 2023. Over this period, popular support for war has decreased significantly.
Recent survey by Channel 12 pointed out that 61% of Israelis advocate the end of the conflict and the return of hostages, while 62% reject the proposal of forced resettlement of the Palestinian population-part of the plan supported by Netanyahu and former US President Donald Trump.
In addition to the letters and military statements, the pressure also comes from the streets. Frequent demonstrations occur in Tel Aviv and in front of Knesset, especially the mobilization of mothers of soldiers and hostage family members.
Protests also spread among the Israeli community abroad, with acts summoned in cities such as Paris, London, Berlin and Brussels.
Government is accused by former premier and president of Israel
The new wave of criticism of the war was preceded by blunt statements of central figures of the Israeli Estabishment. In article published by HaaretzFormer Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israel is committing “indiscriminate, unlimited, cruel, and criminal slaughter of civilians, the result of” conscious, wicked and malicious policy.
For Olmert, it is a campaign with deliberate intent of extermination, denying food, medicine and basic supplies to the population of Gaza.
Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, also broke institutional silence and openly criticized the government for abandoning the priority of saving hostages. “I am shocked by the fact that the issue of hostages came out of the top of priorities. We should keep it at the center of the national debate,” he said during a lecture at the University of Tel Aviv.
Even within the parliamentary opposition, the war in Gaza has been contested. Former Major General Yair Golan, now leader of the Democrats party, stated that “a country is not killing babies by hobby” and compared Israel to the apartheid regime in South Africa. After speech, Golan was harassed at an event in the south of the country, but replied, “You won’t make me hate them.” I’m a brave man. “
Source: vermelho.org.br
