A new petition embarrasses Netanyahu and demands an immediate end to the war on Gaza and the return of the hostages
A growing campaign is escalating in Israel, with reservists and retired soldiers signing petitions demanding the government return prisoners from Gaza, even at the expense of a ceasefire.
This time, the petitions were signed by soldiers in the Paratroopers and Infantry Brigades, as well as by members of the Military Intelligence Service.
More than 1,600 veterans of the paratrooper and infantry brigades signed a letter calling for the return of all hostages, even if it means ending the war.
The Israeli Army Radio reported on Monday that approximately 170 graduates of the Military Intelligence Talpiot program signed a letter demanding the release of the hostages by ending the war, without calling for refusal to serve in the reserve.
According to the Israeli Army Radio, the letter stated, “The call to rescue civilian and military hostages is a fundamental moral duty within the system of values upon which we were raised and by which we served”.
The graduates added, “We condemn attempts to silence the voices and opinions of our colleagues who contribute and serve in the military”.
The letter continued, “At this time, war primarily serves political and personal interests rather than security needs”.
This comes as calls for the return of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, even at the expense of halting the war, gain momentum among the Israeli army’s reserve forces, posing a challenge to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and army chief Eyal Zamir.
On April 11, approximately 1,000 reservists and retired Israeli Air Force soldiers signed a letter calling for a ceasefire to free prisoners in Gaza.
They were followed by 150 former naval officers and dozens of armored personnel.
On April 12, they were joined by approximately 100 military doctors from the Israeli reserve forces, hundreds of reservists from the Israeli intelligence unit 8200, and 2,000 faculty members from Israeli institutions of higher education.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to characterize the move as a refusal to serve in the Israeli military, but the signatories quickly denied this.
They all emphasized that “this war at this time primarily serves political and personal interests, not security interests,” accusing Netanyahu of trying to prolong the war for personal reasons.
Israel has mobilized approximately 360,000 reserve soldiers to participate in the war since it was launched on October 7, 2023.
Since Thursday, petitions demanding the return of the captives have been in circulation, even if the cost is to halt the war on Gaza.
These petitions are being sent by Israeli military personnel, ranging from reserve forces who can be called up for service to retirees, including former senior leaders.
