quote: Elite Israeli Troops Refuse To Serve in the Territories
By Molly Moore Washington Post Foreign Service Monday, December 22, 2003; Page A19
JERUSALEM, Dec. 21 -- Thirteen reservists from Israel's elite military commando unit stated Sunday in a letter to the prime minister that they would no longer serve in the occupied territories, joining other influential security officials who have recently criticized Israeli military tactics and treatment of the Palestinians.
"We have long ago crossed the line between fighters fighting a just cause and oppressing another people," three officers and 10 soldiers of the army's most secretive unit, the Sayeret Matkal, said in the letter to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The letter was made public by the soldiers, who signed with their ranks, first names and the first letter of their last names.
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Shlomo, it's even less productive when the terrorists get through. It's one thing to dispute whether we in the US can afford to back off; it's another thing entirely to dispute whether Israel can. They are right next to their enemy, who can appear in their territory at any time and just as easily melt back into the civilian populace whenever they like.
By way of comparison, we had the option to disengage from Vietnam when we decided the fight was hopeless. The South Vietnamese did not.
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