IDF 8200 Intelligence Soldiers Call on Gov't to Stop Fighting, Bring Back Hostages

 

IDF 8200 Intelligence Soldiers Call on Gov't to Stop Fighting, Bring Back Hostages

Soldiers in the IDF’s Intelligence unit 8200 wrote a joint letter calling on the government to release the hostages, even if it means stopping the fighting in Gaza, Israeli media reported on Friday.

Hundreds of reservist officers, active-duty soldiers, and retired officers signed the letter and, according to KAN, the organizers intend to publish it in a similar way to the letter published by fighters of the Air Force recently.

The 8200 officers said, “We identify with the grave and troubling assertion that, at this time, the war serves primarily political and personal interests, not security interests."

"Continuing the war contributes nothing to its stated objectives and will lead to the deaths of hostages, IDF soldiers, and innocent civilians. We are concerned about the erosion of the reserve force and the growing rates of non-reporting for duty, and we worry about the long-term consequences of this trend.” — The Jerusalem Post

AND

Mossad Veterans, Reserve Medical Officers Sign Letters Calling for Deal to End War, Return Captives

A group of more than 250 Mossad veterans and nearly 200 reserve medical officers have signed letters calling for the end of the war, Israeli media reported on Sunday.

The two new letters add to the two already existing letters signed by veteran pilots and Unit 8200 veterans published on Tuesday and Friday, respectively.

The Mossad veteran's letter included three former Mossad heads, Danny Yotam, Ephraim Halevi, and Tamir Pardo; a former deputy head of the Mossad; and dozens of department heads and deputy department heads. The initiative is reportedly led by David Midan and Gail Shoresh.

"We, the Mossad intelligence and special services veterans, who have dedicated many years to safeguarding the country's security, will not continue to stand by. We express our full support for the pilots' letter, which also reflects our deep concern for the future of the country, and we join the call to act immediately to reach an agreement to return all 59 abductees home, without delay, even at the cost of ceasing fighting." — The Jerusalem Post

Our Take: Now we have hundreds of members of Israeli military intelligence (Unit 8200), as well as three former directors of Mossad — and "dozens of department heads" (unclear if they are active duty) — all signing letters demanding that a deal be cut to bring the remaining hostages home and end the war. Hundreds of members of the air force reserves signed a similar letter last week, and all of them were expelled from the military. (60 of them were active duty.)

Israeli journalist Barak Ravid — a veteran of Unit 8200 — has been sharing news articles written by his peers that say these expulsions represent only the beginning of Netanyahu's political purge of the military; but these letters represent a growing pattern of dissent and revulsion among the Israeli intelligence and armed services, against what they all likely perceive to be a futile war.

"[The Mossad veterans] concluded the letter saying, "The sanctity of life, Mr. Prime Minister, takes precedence over 'God of Revenge.'"

It is interesting how the desire for revenge can become all-consuming, and ultimately self-destructive. I recall a certain historical figure teaching those lessons some 2,000 years ago. — GhostofBasedPatrickHenry