More than three quarters of Jewish Israelis think insubordination within the Israel Defense Forces is not acceptable.
A report from the
Israel Democracy Institute says 82 percent of those polled believe not following orders is inappropriate. The question stemmed from a recent episode in which 43 reservists in the IDF's 8200 intelligence unit refused to do their jobs so as not to "harm the Palestinian population" in the West Bank, the
Times of Israel reports.
"The intelligence [that was] gathered, hurts innocent people, and was used in order to politically persecute [Palestinians], and as a means to create division in Palestinian society by mobilizing collaborators and directing Palestinian society against itself," the reservists wrote in a letter, according to the Times. "We are unable, morally, to serve in such a system which harms the rights of millions of people."
The IDF fired back in response, telling the
Jerusalem Post the reservists were "using their military service to express political opinions…. There is no place for refusal of service in the IDF. There are disagreements and there are political views. The celebration of democracy. We in the IDF constitute one common camp — perhaps the widest in all of Israeli society — and we think several times before we express political stances in forums not meant for such expression."
Ninety-percent of conservative Jewish Israelis were opposed to the reservists' actions, while 58 percent of liberals shared the same feeling. Seventy-six percent of those polled who walk the political center line had the same opinion.
Despite the feelings of Jewish Israelis, 76 percent of Israeli Arabs viewed the reservists' actions as appropriate.
In response to another question, 60 percent of the Jewish population concluded that the Obama administration is not sufficiently determined to fight the Islamic State (ISIS) terror group until victory can be declared. Among Arabs, that number is 55 percent.
Fifty-five percent of those polled, however, felt ISIS does not pose a danger to Israel.
Respondents were also asked whether or not they trust the Israeli government; 61 percent of Jews do not, and neither do 69.5 percent of Arabs.
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