Έφεδροι αξιωματικοί που αρνούνται να υπηρετήσουν στα κατεχόμενα παλαιστινιακά εδάφη μιλάνε στην κάμερα για τις εμπειρίες τους από τη θητεία τους στα κατεχόμενα και για την πιο σημαντική απόφαση της ζωής τους, όπως λένε οι ίδιοι.
“For 35 years a black flag was proudly hanging over our heads, but we have refused to see it.” Captain (res.) Itai Haviv, signatory of the ‘Courage to Refuse’ letter
On 25 January 2002, the Tel Aviv daily Haaretz ran, as an advertisement, a letter signed by 52 Israeli reserve officers. Known as the “Courage to Refuse” petition, the letter outlined the refusal of these soldiers to serve for the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) in occupied Palestinian territories.
More than 500 reserve officers/soldiers have signed this letter till today. These soldiers have served for IDF combatant units several times in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Haim Weiss Captain Armoured Corps, Elon Portugaly Staff Sergeant Infantry, Chen Alon Major Armoured Corps, Itai Haviv Captain Artillery are among them.
The above four persons confess in front of the camera what they have experienced as soldiers in the Occupied Territories and justify the most crucial decision in their life, to Refuse and fight against the Occupation defending the future of Israel.
The film shootings took place in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, West Bank and Gaza Strip.
*‘Black Flag’ is an allusion to a famous Israeli court ruling following the 1956 Kafr Qasm massacre. In this ruling, the judges said that any soldier has the right and obligation to refuse clearly illegal commands, above which ‘hangs a black flag’
