December 22, 2003	Monday	Shawwal 27, 1424

AL QUDS, Dec 21: Fifteen members of the Israeli army’s top commando unit have written to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon refusing to carry out missions in the Palestinian territories, private television reported here Sunday.

According to the report, 15 reservists from the elite Sayeret Matkal unit, said they would no longer participate in the “rule of oppression” and the defence of Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territories.

“We will no longer give our lives to the rule of oppression in the territories and to the denial of human rights to millions of Palestinians and we will no longer serve as a defensive shield for the settlements,” the television quoted the letter as saying.

“We will no longer corrupt the stamp of humanity in us through carrying out the missions of an occupation army ... in the past, we fought for a justified cause (but today), we have reached the boundary of oppressing another people,” it added.

“We will no longer cross this boundary.”

The letter was likely to send shockwaves through the defence establishment due to the seniority of the unit, best known for its spectacular rescue of 106 passengers from a hijacked plane at Uganda’s Entebbe Airport in 1976. Army radio said the letter would be presented to Sharon’s office later on Sunday.

The latest refusal to serve comes three months after 27 airforce pilots sent a petition to airforce head General Dan Halutz outlining their refusal to undertake missions in the Palestinian territories.—AFP