Eighteen months ago, few Israelis doubted the war's logic,
to defeat Hamas and return the hostages.
For many, the January ceasefire and subsequent return of
more than 30 hostages raised hopes that the war might soon end. But after
Israel broke the ceasefire and returned to war in mid-March, those hopes were
dashed.
"We came to the conclusion that Israel is going to a
very bad place," Danny Yatom, a former head of the spy agency Mossad said.
"We
understand that what mainly bothers Netanyahu is his own interests. And in the
list of priorities, his interests and the interests of having the government
stable are the first ones, and not the hostages."
Many of those signing recent letters are, like Yatom, long
time critics of the prime minister. Some were involved in the antigovernmental
protests that preceded the outbreak of war on 07 October 2023 following Hamas's
attack on Israel. Yatom said that's not why he decided to speak out.
"I
signed my name and I am participating in the demonstrations not because of any
political reason, but because of a national reason," he said. "I am
highly concerned that my country is going to lose its way."
The first open letter to be published, in early April, was
signed by 1,000 air force reservists and retirees.
"The continuation of the war does not contribute to any
of its declared goals," they wrote, "and will lead to the death of
the hostages".
The signatories urged Israelis to follow their lead before
time ran out on the estimated 24 hostages still thought to be alive in Gaza.
"Every day that passes is further risking their lives.
Every moment of hesitation is a crying shame."
In the weeks since, similar letters have appeared from
almost every branch of the military, including elite fighting and intelligence
units, along with a number of decorated commanders.
After 07 October, hundreds of thousands of Israeli
reservists answered the call, eager to serve. But now, more and more are
refusing, with reports suggesting that reserve attendance has dropped to as
little as 50-60%.
For a
military that depends heavily on reservists to fight its wars, it's a looming
crisis on a scale not seen since Israel's first Lebanon war in 1982.
The government's determination to keep fighting Hamas, while
hostages risk death in the tunnels of Gaza was misplaced.
"We are very strong and we can beat Hamas, but it's not
about beating Hamas," he said. "It's about losing our country."
But the longer the war goes on, critics say, the harder it
is for Israel to claim, as government officials often do, that its military is
the most moral army in the world.
In a recent column in the left of center newspaper Haaretz,
the retired general Amiram Levin said it was time for soldiers – starting with senior
commanders - to think about disobeying orders.
"The risk of being dragged into war crimes and
suffering a fatal blow to the Israel Defense Forces and our social ethos,"
he wrote, "make it impossible to stand idly by".
Some of Israel's critics, including those who have brought
cases before the International Criminal Court and International Court of
Justice, argue that such lines have already been crossed.
Netanyahu
has lashed out at the protesters, dismissing their concerns as "propaganda
lies", spread by "a small handful of fringe elements – loud,
anarchist and disconnected pensioners, most of whom haven't served in
years".
But polls suggest the protest letters reflect a growing
public conviction: that the release of the remaining hostages should come
before everything.
In Tel Aviv, where noisy anti-war demonstrations have been
held for well over a year, images of the hostages are held aloft, while other
protestors sit on the road, cradling pictures of Palestinian children killed
during the war.
Amid the row generated by the letters, such emotive displays
appear to have rattled the authorities.
On 20
April, the police briefly told protesters that "pictures of children or
babies from Gaza" would not be permitted, along with posters displaying
the words "genocide" or "ethnic cleansing".
Following expressions of outrage from the organizers, the
police quickly backed down.
Meanwhile, the prime minister continues to speak of his
determination to defeat Hamas.
Military pressure, Netanyahu continues to insist, is the
only way to bring the hostages home.
