ABC Nightline

BigCountry · #1 12-03-2003, 01:52 AM

My uncle was interviewed together with some of the 27 pilots that denounced and refused to go on assasination missions in the occupied territories in Israel. Anyone else catch it?

NamVet4 · #2 12-03-2003, 07:15 AM

BigCountry,
Do you have a link to a site that provides coverage? I am intersted to learn more.

BigCountry · #3 12-03-2003, 12:51 PM

The story itself happened a while ago so I don't know about a link but I'll look. It was basically 27 Israeli Air Force (the Air Force over there is a huge deal) that wrote a letter denouncing the activities in the occupied territories that were harming innocent civilians. The pilots who were still active refused to go on assasination missions that targeted terrorists but harmed civilians. This was a huge story over there because the army in Israel is more sacred then the torra.

NamVet4 · #4 12-03-2003, 01:01 PM

Big Country,
I have found the following: Letter from 27 pilots - transcript of interview session

Here is a excerpted quote from the interview:

Quote:

CONAN: Now some members of the armed forces have also signed statements refusing to serve in Palestinian territories.

GRADSTEIN: Yes. Close to 600 of them, both active duty and reserve personnel, have said that they will not serve in the territories, and probably hundreds of others have quietly asked to be transferred. The most public of this was a letter signed by 27 former and reserve pilots in September saying that they would no longer fly missions attacking Palestinian militants in assassination attempts and air strikes in which Palestinian civilians are also often killed.

Israeli officials say it's collateral damage, they say they're not aiming for these people. But these pilots said that they would not fly these missions anymore. And the pilots are really the elite in the Israeli armed forces, and it caused a huge stir here and a huge controversy over whether it was appropriate or not for them to say that.

The source is Talk of the Nation, Neal Conan in Washington speaking with Linda Gradstein of NPR.

Is this what you were refering to?

Spence · #5 12-03-2003, 01:05 PM

I've been following the story myself. The Israel Defense Forces is the glue that holds the country together. No institution in the country wields the almost mythical respect the IDF does. I can see why the pilots are refusing to bomb and why their refusal is so controversial.

It's an old and difficult question to answer: What means should you use to ensure your survival? Is anything justified?

BigCountry · #6 12-03-2003, 01:17 PM

My uncle is Yoel (or Joel) Piterberg. Spence did you catch Nightline?

Spence · #7 12-03-2003, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BigCountry
My uncle is Yoel (or Joel) Piterberg. Spence did you catch Nightline?

Yes, I did. Here is the link.