Soldier jailed for disobeying orders

A US-born Israeli soldier who refused to take part in an army operation to destroy empty buildings in the Gaza Strip before evacuation of the entire territory later this summer has been sentenced to 56 days in jail, the army spokesperson said yesterday.

Cpl Avi Bieber, from Passaic, New Jersey, has become a hero among opponents to the government plan to evacuate all 21 Jewish settlements from the Gaza Strip, after he refused to take part in the demolition operation on Sunday, where soldiers had to remove settlers who tried to interfere.

The army feared the structures would be turned by the settlers into a base of opposition. Bieber said he was motivated by his religious belief that Jews were given the land by God.

Bieber was convicted in a disciplinary hearing of disobeying orders and threatening a commander, the army spokesperson said. He was sentenced to 56 days in jail, a harsh sentence for a disciplinary hearing. The military refused his request for a full court martial.

“The Israel Defence Forces will continue to act decisively against any political statements made by IDF soldiers and against any refusal to carry out orders,” the army said in a statement. “Soldiers can under no circumstances choose their own missions.”

Bieber will appeal the conviction, Army Radio reported.

Israeli military officials said the sentence was severe and meant to send a message to soldiers who have said they will refuse to follow orders to carry out the Gaza withdrawal.

Israeli authorities fear hundreds of soldiers could disobey evacuation orders, seriously disrupting the pullout, set to begin in August.

The army did not want to hear Bieber’s case in a military court out of concern it could be turned into a stage for opponents to the Gaza withdrawal, military officials said.

Bieber emigrated to Israel with his family in 1996 and lives in the West Bank settlement of Tekoah.