|
 |
|
Tough lover
By James Mark Leas, Burlington Free Press 7/31/2004
The Free Press overlooked significant talks by a refusing Israeli pilot attended by 320 local people last week. Yonatan Shapira served in an elite squadron of the Israeli air force for 10 years before initiating a letter signed by 27 pilots refusing to kill civilians. In his talks, he urged his largely Jewish audiences to join him in "tough love" for Israel. Shapira believes that "instead of protecting our country we are doing our part in a circle of revenge. We damage innocent people and they hit us back in terror attacks. They hit innocent people on purpose. Maybe we don't intend to hit innocent people but when you use a one-ton bomb (on a house in a densely populated neighborhood in Gaza) you know you will." The bomb dropped by an Israeli F16 last July killed one terrorist -- but it also killed or injured 164 civilians, including many children. Recognizing that Palestinian lives are as valuable as Jewish lives, Shapira said, "Israel is fighting against people who want freedom just like we want freedom. Israel has been occupying their land for 37 years, and they have no rights, even to vote. Israel is fighting to keep that occupation. Also Israel is fighting against terrorist attacks. But we don't stop terrorist attacks by putting Jewish families in (the occupied Palestinian city of) Hebron. This is a war to continue the occupation of their land." The solution, Shapira said, is to give them freedom by ending the occupation.
|
|
|
|
