Israeli raids have killed and injured Palestinian civilians including women and children

Occupied JERUSALEM, September 25 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – 27 Israeli Air Force pilots refused to take part in air raids on the West Bank and Gaza Strip, assuring that such raids are immoral and illegal and would endanger Israel’s reputation as they aim to kill innocent Palestinian civilians.

"Twenty-seven reserve and active pilots submitted a petition to Air Force Commander Major General Dan Haloutz, saying that they were no longer prepared to take part in missions that they regarded as illegal and immoral," Israeli daily Yediot Aharonot reported on Wednesday, September 24.

The paper pointed out that among the prominent signatories of this petition is Brigadier General Yeftah Spector, deemed a legendary pilot in the Israeli Air Force history, who took part in the bombing of the Iraqi nuclear reactor in 1980s and was a candidate for the post of Israeli Air Force Commander.

Only nine of the signatories are believed to still be in active service but Haloutz indicated that they would be kicked out if they did not retract their statements, Agence France-Presse (AFP) said.

He told the Haaretz daily that he planned to treat the signatories "in the same way as the IDF has dealt with refuseniks until now," indicating that they would be dismissed. "This method has proved itself."

Immoral Raids

"We, veteran and active pilots... are opposed to carrying out the illegal and immoral attack orders of the sort that Israel carries out in the territories," the pilots were quoted by BBC News Online.

"We are refusing to continue to attack innocent civilians," they added in their letter addressed to the Israel Air Force (IAF) commander.

A front-page opinion piece in Yediot illustrated that the pilots had touched a raw nerve.

"The IDF's set of values has undergone a process of erosion because of the ongoing occupation and another process because of terror," said Nahum Barnea.

"Decisions that only three years ago were considered war crimes are committed today as a matter of routine. There is no more need for a legal proceeding before killing someone suspected of terror, not even a security cabinet decision."

One of the pilots, whose name was given only as Alon, told the Yediot that he felt like he had "come out against his family".

"I was proud to belong to the organization called the Israel Air Force, and today I am ashamed," said the Black Hawk captain.

"This is an organization that carries out actions that in my eyes are immoral and patently illegal. It is an organization that has no qualms about dropping bombs -- it doesn't matter if they are 250, 500 or 1,000 kilos (550, 1,100 or 2,200 pounds) -- on the densest neighborhoods in the world, causing massive killing of civilians."

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon also warned the pilots not to become embroiled in politics. "This is a very severe matter, which will be dealt with soon and appropriately," he said.

"The army carries out the instructions of the political echelon, and it will continue to act against terrorists and murderers whose sole purpose is to strike at crowded population centers inhabited by innocent citizens," Sharon added.

“Not An Earthquake”

Haloutz said the signatories would be dismissed

In his comments on the petition, the Israeli air force commander accused the pilots of playing politics and also criticized them for not airing their grievances through the proper chain of command, AFP said.

 "We have to deal with matters appropriately. This is not an earthquake in the air force. This afternoon was the first I have heard of this," Haloutz told Channel 10 television.

"We are a humanitarian and moral force and army of the highest order. It is political refusal which is the greatest danger threatening the Israelis," he added.

The Israeli Air Force has lately launched several raids on some neighborhoods in Gaza Strip targeting leaders of Palestinian resistance factions, particularly from Hamas. Yet, such raids have often killed and injured tens of civilians including women and children.

By virtue of the law, any Israeli soldiers has a right to refuse to comply with illegal orders, when it is proven, beyond doubt, that such orders would lead to war crimes.

Hundreds of Israeli reserve soldiers have chosen prison over military service in the Palestinian territories during the last three years.

52 Israeli reserve paratroopers have declared on January 25, 2002, that they refuse to take part in military missions in the Palestinian territories.

“We won’t keep fighting beyond the Green Line separating Israel from the Palestinian territories with an aim to persecute, humiliate and drive out a whole people,” the paratroopers wrote in a petition that was later signed by hundreds of the military and aroused much dispute in Israel.

Yafa Center for Strategic Studies of Tel Aviv University has pointed lately out that there are about 190.000 elements in the Israeli army as well as 450.000 reserves.