Hundreds of high school students wrote to Defense Minister Yoav Galant, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevy and IAEA head Yaniv Asor in a harsh letter following recent events.
"We are shocked to see the encouragement of insubordination and politicization among certain reservists in the Air Force, the Intelligence Corps and various units such as Sayeret Matkal, despite the serious security threats from Iran and Hezbollah." The applicants, who graduated from eleventh and twelfth grades, wrote in a letter they sent to the IDF through the right-wing ultra-Orthodox organization "Martial Doctrine."
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"We, the younger generation that loves the State of Israel and the IDF and is aiming for significant mobilization, want to open these units where refusal is possible, even to those who do not resemble that political group."
The eighths even wondered that one of the leaders of the refusal protest might sort them out if they went to the Sayeret Matkal classrooms: "Unfortunately, Ron Scharf, for example, one of the leaders of the refusal (who even declared that he would not go to war!) - Still serving in the position of sorter for Sayeret Matkal! This is an influential position of power that harms anyone who doesn't think like him and doesn't resemble Ron Scharf politically."
The 200 eighths concluded with a demand: "We, the next generation of fighters of the IDF, demand from you: equal opportunities for youth from the periphery, from the settlements, as well as traditional, religious and ultra-Orthodox - in the entrance exams to units that until now had a uniform shade: pilot course, formation of the General Staff, entrance tests for 8200 and more. Refusal is proof that in practice, on the finish lines, these units are not heterogeneous."
"We receive inquiries about various manipulations of screening during the screening and course stages." Tel Hashomer Base,
The applicants signed: "We ask that the screening processes, which hardly allowed anyone who does not resemble the sorters socially and sectorally, to be accepted into these units become professional processes and that these units become truly open to all parts of the people of Israel."
Aviad Gadot, Director General of the Martial Doctrine Organization, said: "The hundreds of eights who signed the letter live in Eilat, Kiryat Shmona, Ashkelon, Kiryat Gat, Ofakim, Sdot Negev, Ashdod, Halutza, Lod, Elad, Sderot, Judea and Samaria, and more.
"We receive inquiries about various manipulations of screening during the screening stages and courses, and even those who are accepted to these units have to 'lower their heads' and hide their Jewish-national identity so that they will not be swallowed up. I hope that a letter sent by the eighteens, who say "I am!" and represent the young, healthy generation of the people of Israel, will act on the IDF, which is supposed to be the people's army, and not a branch of one party or another."
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