Israel condemns rabbis' call to disobey

By: Ahmed Hammadi

HELD JERUSALEM: Israel's army chief of staff Lt. Gen. Moshe Yaalon condemned a call from scores of rabbis who urged observant soldiers to refuse orders to evacuate Jewish settlements under the Israeli plan to Israeli pull out of the Gaza Strip next year.

The statement by Lt. Gen. Yaalon, broadcast on local media, reflected army officials' growing concern that a significant number of soldiers would heed the rabbis' call, causing a crisis in the army.

“Insubordination is dangerous to us as an army, as a society and as a nation. This is not legitimate and inappropriate… Don't put us in impossible situations.” Yaalon said.

The chief said he feared the Zionist state could be torn apart by rabbis who have been urging soldiers to disobey any orders to evacuate settlers from Gaza and parts of the West Bank.

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