Fighting in Lebanon produces first conscientious objector

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The Lebanon 2006 war has produced its first conscientious objector - Staff Sergeant Itzik Shabbat, a 28-year-old TV producer. He refused to comply with an emergency order (Tsav 8) to report Tuesday for reserve duty in the territories in order to free forces in the standing army for the war in Lebanon....

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He added: "Someone has to be the first to break the silence and it will be me. It is a shame that my order was signed by another Sderot resident, Defense Minister Amir Peretz."

Shabbat says he has already informed his commander and other officers in the unit of his intentions and he is prepared to pay the price.

In the past Shabbat, considered an outstanding commander, also refused to serve in the territories and sat in prison for 28 days. He was one of the signatories to the petition of the refusal movement, Courage to Refuse. However he says that his present decision is not connected with the need to relieve a unit in the territories but rather with his opposition to the war in Lebanon. The larger Yesh Gvul movement started by opposing the 1982 Lebanon war and only later the territories, too.

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And sadly the only one it seems.... unless the media is avoiding mentioning any others? Nah, surely there could be no deliberate censoring of MSM?

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Here's another story that I can't believe we aren't hearing about:

PM's daughter protests Gaza killings

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Some 200 left-wing activists marched outside the house of IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz at the Tzahala neighborhood in Tel Aviv Saturday evening, to protest the killing of civilians in Gaza on Friday.

Protesters march near Halutz's house (Photo: Niv Kalderon)

The demonstrators chanted slogans such as "Tzahala residents, there's a murderer in your neighborhood," and raised signs calling on the government to "put a stop to the murder of civilians" and stating, "Halutz is a killer, the intifada shall prevail." Activists also shouted, "neighbors, ask Halutz why he's killing children and how many."

Dana Olmert, the daughter of Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, also took part in the demonstration.

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Again one would think this would be news but I forget, these types of stories aren't very good at selling us the conflict and fear that the elites need to rule from.

ETA: thanks Unionist for the assistance on the link.

[ 29 July 2006: Message edited by: a lonely worker ]

www.fromisraeltolebanon.org

Thanks for this news, by the way.

Here's an item from "Democracy Now!" where you see the differing viewpoints of a "Refusenik" (IDF soldier who publicly refuses to serve in the occupied territories, risking prison etc.) and a member of "Meretz" (which Democracy Now! still strangely calls "Israel's Peace Party", even though it has wimped out on the Lebanon issue):