(LifeSiteNews) — Though the Western media and political establishment has finally begun to notice Israel’s genocide, it seldom shows the reality behind the headlines as clearly as do some of the Israeli press.
A series of reports from Haaretz have shown how Israel’s bombing campaign is breaking the minds and morale of its Air Force, from former to serving officers and men. As cracks appear in an Israeli society many warn is on the brink of civil war, so too are divisions within the ranks opening up, as well as within the minds of the pilots, drone operators and commanders themselves.
On April 10 reports showed around 1,000 current and former Israeli Air Force reservists signed an open letter calling for an end to the war in Gaza – saying it was being fought for “political and personal interests and not security ones.” It accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of taking a “signed agreement with Hamas” to end the war – and “throwing it in the trash.”
Netanyahu confesses – by accusation
Haaretz reported that Netanyahu responded by labeling the moral objections of the reservists as indicating “weakness” and accusing them of being a “radical, marginal group” which was trying to divide Israel – and undermine its alleged “democracy”:
“This noisy, marginal group was mobilized for one goal – to topple the government,” said Netanyahu.
His condemnation was echoed by Defense Minister Israel Katz – who added the so-called “pilot’s letter” was written “to undermine the legitimacy of the just war that the IDF is leading in Gaza.”
Netanyahu has been accused of dividing Israel, destroying its democracy and leading it into self-destruction for over three years – by former heads of Mossad, of Shin Bet, former prime ministers, and the current leaders of the Israeli opposition.
His own national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, admitted recently that the war was being prolonged and escalated by Netanyahu – who had sacrificed the Israeli hostages for personal reasons.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich told reporters in April that freeing the hostages was not the most important goal in Israel’s war – despite this being supplied to Western audiences as the only real reason for Israel’s assault.
READ: Western media, politicians are turning against Israel over genocide in Gaza
The protest grows
On April 17, the Times of Israel reported that 300 civilian pilots had added their names. On May 4, Sky News reported the letter has now been signed by “[m]ore than 15,000 people … including paratroopers, armored corps, navy, special units, cyber and medics” – as the anti-Netanyahu campaign spreads through the Israeli military.
The second report from Haaretz on April 17 showed how the letter argued:
“The continuation of the war will cause the deaths of hostages, IDF troops and innocent civilians.”
Killing innocent civilians
Through direct interviews with serving airmen and commanders, the report explored the likelihood of mutiny in the Israeli Air Force, as it said increasing numbers of pilots are now confronted with the fact that “we’re killing innocent people in Gaza, and people are silent.”
Israeli air operations are structured to exclude the knowledge of who is being bombed from the pilot’s understanding of the mission. One former airman told Haaretz, “I don’t want to insult the guys in the cockpits, but a pilot today can’t know what he’s bombing.”
He explained the role was one of delivery, not understanding: “It’s unpleasant to say, but pilots today are porters. No one lets them know about innocent civilians.”
One pilot told Haaretz how he knows he could be bombing a 14-year-old boy, or a building full of families.
“The knowledge of exactly what I am attacking is very limited,” he said. “Let’s say I’m told that it’s a ranking [Hamas] figure who’s in an apartment – it might be a 14-year-old who rose through the ranks rapidly in the past year. Nor do I have any way of knowing whether the apartment is empty of non-combatants or not.”
Mutiny in the Air Force?
Haaretz asked him if some pilots are coming close to refusing to serve – as they did in 2003.
“Sure. There are people for whom this is a daily dilemma from their point of view. This subject of trust in the system disturbs their sleep nightly.”
It is not only the knowledge of killing women and children but also questions of the “purpose” of the war which disturbs the pilots.
“There’s a general feeling of purposelessness in the fighting. Why am I harming others – for a true operational purpose? A political purpose?” the same pilot added.
‘Mass killing’ of civilians
Others were blunter about the facts. An Air Force major, serving in the operational HQ of the air force, told Haaretz that “the framework of the laws of war” permits the mass killing of civilians.
Nevertheless, he concluded that the “astronomical number of people killed in Gaza is a stain on the air force and on Israel.”
Drone operators, field commanders and others go on to report their remorse and horror at the knowledge of having killed children. The demoralization and psychological trauma are taking its toll on those charged with carrying out Israel’s genocide from the air. Why is it pursued with such inhuman aggression?
“Many religious Zionist commanders are blindly determined,” said another, adding that “for me, that’s the story” of why the war is carried on in this way.
The determination is to see Gaza “totally destroyed … within a few months,” as the religious Zionist minister Bezalel Smotrich said three weeks ago, so he can complete his ambition to see it annexed – along with the Occupied West Bank.
The interviews with serving commanders, operators, and pilots in the Israeli Air Force show an unusual angle on the human cost of Israel’s genocide – that is exacted on its own people.
Israel’s actions have isolated it on the world stage as a toxic pariah. Israelis themselves are not immune to this poison. Those conducting its war crimes know what they are doing. They know why this is being done, and this knowledge is prompting the same question asked by the world that is watching.
How long can this carry on?
