Over 100 active duty US military personnel condemn Israel war crimes in Gaza

A network of active duty service members across the United States’ Armed Forces have condemned Israel’s genocide in the Gaza Strip, in the largest and most coordinated public opposition to Israeli war crimes by American troops, so far.

In the open letter sent to American journalist, Talia Jane, on Sunday, the US service members acknowledged that “It is undeniably evident that the Israeli Defence Forces are repeatedly and systematically committing war crimes in Gaza”, leading them to assert that “Support for the conduct of the IDF is unacceptable and inconsistent with our values in the US Armed Forces”.

If you’d prefer I post communiques and press releases that look like this so you believe my reporting even though your skepticism inherently tells me nothing I say or do will change your mind, I can, but I do feel like you should know you have bad taste. pic.twitter.com/ThUGilCWRp

— Talia Jane ❤️‍🔥 (@taliaotg) March 4, 2024

Highlighting the rampant misconduct and lack of sufficient discipline within the Israeli military’s ranks in Gaza, particularly in regard to their abuse and crimes against Palestinian civilians, the letter stated that “It is incumbent upon us to hold those we call our partners and allies to the same standards that we hold ourselves to as experts and professionals. We cannot defend the indefensible. We cannot abide by such a double standard, as there is no legal or moral gray area where service members of any nation target or kill civilians. The laws of war either apply to all of us or none of us.”

The US military members also stressed the demoralising impact and reputational damage that Israel’s war crimes subsequently have on American forces, stating that the “secondary and tertiary effects of the IDF’s misconduct in Gaza undermine our own morale, readiness and ultimately our mission to protect the American people and defend our Constitution.”

The signatories and endorsements of the open letter included over 100 anonymous active duty personnel across all branches of the US military – the Air Force, Navy, Army, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and reservists and National Guard members – as well as their families.

By far the most prominent and coordinated public condemnation by US service members against Israel’s war on Gaza and the genocide of its Palestinian population, the expression of their views was reportedly desired by military personnel for months, but it was the self-immolation of Airman Aaron Bushnell, late last month, which pushed them to publish the letter.

According to Jane, one source involved in the crafting of the open letter told her that “Our job is important to us and none of us would ever do the insane stuff the IDF is doing”, insisting that the personnel within the network of anonymous US service members are “unapologetically patriotic”. They added that “a statement trying to be as inoffensive and black and white as possible is the least we can do.”

READ: US quietly sent American Air Force unit to aid Israel in Gaza genocide