The Israeli army recently put together a Ă¢ââÂŹĂ âcode of ethicsĂ¢ââÂŹĂ for the pullout from the Gaza Srip, including guidance to soldiers on how to handle anti-pullout activists.
A special team headed by an Israeli army major-general recommended, among other things, that security forces be allowed to open fire on pullout foes who endanger the lives of the soldiers and police only as a last resort, and when Ă¢ââÂŹĂ âall else has failed.Ă¢ââÂŹĂÂ
The code alsoĂâĂ offers a ĂâĂ justification for the armyĂ¢ââââ¢s participation in the pullout operation and procedures for dealing with refusals to obey orders.
The team was headed by Major General Eyal Ben-Reuven, commander of the military colleges. Also on board was Prof. Asher Kasher of Tel Aviv University, who helped ĂâĂ put together a Ă¢ââÂŹĂ âcode of ethicsĂ¢ââÂŹĂ for the army a decade ago, and reserve Major General Haim Erez, among others.ĂâĂÂ
ĂâĂ The latestĂâĂ Ă¢ââÂŹĂ âcode of ethicsĂ¢ââÂŹĂ does not cover confrontations between the Israeli army and Palestinian protestors -ĂâĂ it only deals with Israelis facing Israelis.
According to Kasher, the standard explanations that commanders give to their soldiers refer to combat against terror or a hostile army, whereas the armyĂ¢ââââ¢s role vis-ĂĆĂ -vis the disengagement is more complex and thus requires a different approach.
In the pullout, the documentĂâĂ states, ĂâĂ the army’s tasks ‘will not be tasks in the face of an enemy, or for the purpose of saving lives in face of immediate danger.’
Implementation of the disengagement plan, it continues, ‘must be done without bloodshed. The soldiers and police will return safely to their bases. Civilians who refuse to evacuate as required will be evacuated safely.’






