CrossFireArabia, Author at CrossFireArarbia

Israeli Refuses The Army, Condemns Use of Hunger as Weapon

CrossFireArabia
October 15, 2024

Israeli conscientious objector Orion Mueller has condemned the use of hunger as a weapon in Gaza, stating that his refusal to join the military is his way of opposing the ongoing situation.

In a video interview with Anadolu, Mueller detailed the challenges he faced after refusing to enlist in the Israeli army, especially during the recent Gaza conflict.

“From the very beginning of the (military) drafting process, which starts near 11 of school, I knew that I had no intentions of joining the army,” he said.

Mueller explained that Israel’s compulsory military service leaves little room for opting out, as all citizens are expected to serve.

“If you just finished high school, everyone is expected to either go right now or eventually join the military. And not doing so creates quite a bit of dissonance between your experience and the people around you. And it definitely sheds a different light on you in the eyes of the people around you.”

He noted that following the Gaza attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, more young Israelis have refused to serve.

“Israeli culture puts the military service on an almost holy pedestal. And any form of evading that service, especially during wartime, is shunned. It almost puts you at a certain level of being an outcast.”

“I really hope many more people will be willing to go through that in order to refuse the war. I think that’s one of the most powerful weapons we have within Israel to push the government into stopping the war.”

Mueller, who spent 30 days in military prison for his stance, shared his experience.

“Military prison has all forms of military discipline you would expect in basic training. And so if you are willing to shape yourself in the shape of a soldier who listens and doesn’t answer his commanders, then it can be fine. But if you have any interest or if you are forced to maybe push against the barriers of military chain of command, then you suffer.”

He added, “The main problem with being in prison is really just not so much boredom, as much as it is just complete lack of any action in your life. It’s just waking up to the same routine, the same exact identical routine of being counted, eating, and then idling.”

Israel’s military actions and ethical concerns

Mueller also criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza, particularly its disregard for civilian lives.

He argued that the military’s objectives were not achieved and that the situation has spiraled beyond a military operation.

“Israel got so bogged down in Gaza in the first place. In the looming shadow of the war, I think, other problems with joining the military become even more extreme. Both the military occupation of the West Bank and the ethnic cleansing and efforts to get rid of the population, of the native Palestinian population, make the choice between joining the army very problematic.”

“All of those problems answer the question of, is it ethical to join the Israeli military? And my answer is no.”

Mueller also accused Israel of using hunger as a weapon in Gaza, calling it a “major issue.” He believes that refusing military service is the best way to avoid complicity in such human rights violations.

He further criticized the political motivations behind the war, asserting that it is being waged for internal political gain and a balance of power.

Noting that Israel is governed by right-wing forces, he said: “I don’t see … the end too near to us. But I believe that with some luck in managing to stop the campaign in Lebanon, we can maybe work towards a cease-fire deal with Gaza, if the government had any intentions to do so, which it very clearly showed it does not.”

A message of apology and admiration

Mueller also expressed deep regret and admiration for the people of Gaza.

“First of all, I would like to say sorry on behalf of my people and my country. From the bottom of my heart, I do really feel sorry. I don’t think I’m in a position to really say anything about hope, because I have four walls and a ceiling above me.”

“I don’t really think I can imagine not losing hope if I were in the shoes of the Gazan people. And I really do commend the struggle in opposing the horrific military campaign taking place on their land and I do hope that one day we could coexist.”

“I think that anyone listening to this or reading this interview whenever it goes on air should consider with themselves which side of history they want to be on. The side of death and suffering or the side of hope and peace. And hopefully be sure that the answer they chose is the right one within themselves.”

News

Israel Lies About Flour Delivery

CrossFireArabia
October 15, 2024

The Gaza Government Media Office says the Israeli army is lying about delivering flour to Northern Gaza while enforcing a starvation policy there.

They stated that the blockade has lasted for 170 days, blocking all humanitarian access.

The office called the situation “real and practical genocide” and ethnic cleansing, leading to widespread destruction as part of a dangerous American-Israeli displacement plan.

News

Maduro: Netanyahu is a Monster Created by EU, US Empire

CrossFireArabia
October 15, 2024

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a “monster created by the European Union and the US Empire,” and he is committing genocide against Palestine and Lebanon, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Monday.

Netanyahu “still has the audacity” to give orders to the United Nations to withdraw peacekeeping forces from southern Lebanon, Maduro said, referring to Israel’s call to UN chief Antonio Guterres to move the UN Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) from the Lebanese side of the border.

Five UN troops were injured in a series of incidents last week, the latest of which involved the UN force accusing Israeli troops of forcibly breaching a gate and entering one of their positions, as Israel continues its aggression across Lebanon, killing more than 1,300 people since September 23.

The Venezuelan president described Netanyahu as “the monster created by the European Union and the US Empire,” adding that even Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler did not dare to do what the Israeli Prime Minister is currently doing.

Maduro said what is happening in the Middle East today “is not a conflict, but a colonial project by the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe aimed at controlling the region.”

“Netanyahu bombed hospitals, schools, mosques, and refugee camps in Gaza. Is this a war? This is genocide,” the Venezuelan President said.

In late September, Maduro strongly condemned the Israeli assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, denouncing Netanyahu as “Hitlerish” and criticizing world leaders for their silence.

He expressed Venezuela’s solidarity with the people of Lebanon and Gaza, also drawing comparisons between the Israeli Prime Minister and Hitler.

“We are witnessing the actions of a murderer who only reminds us of Hitler,” he said according to the Quds News Network.

Analyses

Israeli Media: We Are Waging a ‘War of Brains’ With Hezbollah

CrossFireArabia
October 15, 2024

Israeli media revealed new details about the circumstances of the attack that targeted a military building in the Binyamina area south of Haifa. Israeli military analysts and experts said the incident casts doubt on the ability to intercept Hezbollah drones, and that the army is waging a war of brains with Hezbollah.

Military affairs correspondent Itai Blumenthal of Channel 11 said that the two drones that targeted the building in the base arrived via the northern maritime zone, where one of them was intercepted near the city of Nahariya, while the other disappeared from the field of view of Israeli fighters and helicopters just before hitting the building.

Blumenthal confirmed that the drone did not fire missiles, noting that this type of drone is known to the Israeli army and is manufactured in Iran and is available to Hezbollah, which raises further questions about the army’s ability to effectively detect these drones in the current war.

In the same context Nir Dvori, military analyst for Channel 12 said that this incident caused great disappointment, especially since the recent period witnessed some progress in the army’s ability to intercept drones. He added this incident completely turned the picture upside down, and revealed the gaps in the Israeli defense system.

A war of brains

Dvori explained this war of brains is witnessing a continuous development of capabilities on both sides. He added the Israeli army is working to improve its interception capabilities, while Hezbollah continues to develop the low-flying and high-speed techniques of its drones, which makes it more difficult to detect and shoot them down.

For his part Eitan Ben Eliyahu, former commander of the Israeli Air Force, confirmed that there is a war of minds taking place in real time between Hezbollah drone operators and soldiers operating Israeli detection and interception systems.

He described this battle as similar to a computer game, with each side trying to outdo the other in real time.

Yossi Yehoshua, a military affairs analyst for Channel 24 and Yedioth Ahronoth, pointed out that last deadly incident added to a series of injuries sustained by Israeli soldiers in the past two weeks since the start of the ground operations in Lebanon.

He said hundreds of soldiers were injured as a result of the use of anti-tank missiles, mortar shells, and drones by Hezbollah.

A surprise attack on the Golani Brigade training camp, located about 80 kilometers deep in southern Lebanon, Sunday, resulted in the killing of four soldiers and the wounding of 67, including eight in critical condition. The Israeli Army Radio described this attack as the deadliest incident against the army since the start of the current war.

Israeli media reported at the time that the drone fired a missile at the training camp, before crashing into the dining hall inside the camp, where soldiers were eating according to Al Jazeera.

Culture

Neo Sora: World Cinema Failed Gaza

CrossFireArabia
October 15, 2024

Japanese-American film director Neo Sora said the world of cinema has failed to adequately respond to the genocide in Gaza, stressing the need for a stronger reaction during his appearance at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival.

US-born Sora, who posed with a Palestinian keffiyeh and a flag reading “Free Palestine” at the festival, discussed the art world’s attitude towards Palestine with Anadolu.

Describing the positive response he received at the festival, Sora said: “In Venice, there was a resounding applause for the keffiyeh and the Palestinian flag. People were shouting from the audience, ‘Free Palestine,’ and I was responding by saying, ‘Free Palestine.’

“Making films and having the privilege to attend international festivals like Venice gives me a huge platform to have my voice heard by people globally, including Japanese audiences,” he said.

❝Sanat dünyası Gazze'deki soykırıma göz yumuyor❞

2024 Venedik Film Festivali'ne Filistin kefiyesi ve bayrağıyla katılan ABD doğumlu Japon yönetmen Neo Sora, sanat dünyasının Filistin konusundaki tutumunu eleştirdi 🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/cWux6NYT9a
— 10’lar (@10larMedya) October 15, 2024

Sora also expressed disappointment with the festival’s programing, saying: “I was a little disappointed because you could tell they were trying to create an equivalency by including one Israeli film and one Palestinian film in the same section of Orizzonti, where my film was featured.”

Oct. 7 and reality of genocide

“I was in New York on Oct. 7, 2023, when it happened. It was really difficult to stay motivated to finish my film in the face of such extreme, livestreamed genocide, the likes of which I’ve never seen in my lifetime. I think it’s the worst genocide we’ve witnessed.

“I questioned whether I could continue making films because what’s the point of telling stories about human dignity when we’re witnessing such horrific violence that strips people of their humanity? After reflecting on the past year, I am 100% convinced that it is indeed genocide,” said Sora, recalling events from Oct. 7 last year.

Sora added that Israel’s settler colonialism isn’t just a Palestinian narrative. “It’s not something I’ve only been convinced of through Palestinian voices. Israelis themselves say it’s a settler colonial project. Look at the words of people like David Ben-Gurion or the founders of the Zionist movement; they called it a settler colonialist project.”

Palestinian culture being destroyed

Sora emphasized the importance of boycotting organizations that support Israel, saying: “As consumers, boycot is critical. We need to show these big corporations that if they make films like Wonder Woman, or Marvel featuring Gal Gadot, who’s basically a spokesperson for the IDF, they’ll lose money because we won’t support those projects.”

“We’re at the start of an AI dystopia. More concerning, though, is that the responsibility for these war crimes is being shifted to military AI systems created by Israeli military and software companies. This is a disastrous situation, especially given the environmental impact of these AI systems,” Sora said, highlighting Israel’s attempts to evade accountability.

‘We are at a historic turning point’

Sora pointed out that artists and others are not doing enough to stop the genocide in Gaza.

“The fact that this genocide has continued for 367 days and now these atrocities by Israel are spreading to other countries, like Lebanon, shows we’re not doing enough. We all need to do more, whether we’re filmmakers, businessmen, lawyers, or professionals in any other field,” he concluded.