Resigned Israeli pilot: The army is a terrorist organization and its leaders are war criminals

Former IDF pilot Yonatan Shapira said the army is "a terrorist organization and its leaders are war criminals" and called on the world to protect Palestinians who are being killed for "racist reasons."

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Captain Shapira explained that he had received an education encouraging him to join the Israeli army to protect his people, but after serving in the air force and dropping bombs on civilians, he realized that this was a "terrorist act."

The resigned pilot criticized the Israeli media and its education system, pointing out that the Israelis are being brainwashed, and that children are brought up in a highly Zionist military education system.

He added that he joined the Israeli army in 1993, and was excluded from it in 2003 during the second Palestinian intifada, noting that the number of people who think like him does not exceed a few thousand.

Shapira pointed out that he was arrested and imprisoned several times and dismissed from all his work, due to his participation in protests with the Palestinians in the West Bank to break the siege on Gaza, and to give lectures around the world, as well as launching a campaign to encourage other soldiers to resign.

He stated that 27 pilots have resigned from the Israeli army since 2003 until today.

"The Israeli army is a terrorist organization and its leaders are war criminals," Shapira said. "The Israeli government is a racist Jewish government and is dragging the whole region into a disaster."

And he added, "I believe in this and there are many who believe in it, but not everyone wants to say it. This is a fact that I must say."

Shapira called on the world to protect the Palestinians from the current situation, because they are being killed for racist reasons, and they need great support to stop the disaster.

A week ago, Israel launched an aggression with aircraft and artillery on the Gaza Strip, resulting in 197 martyrs, including 58 children and 34 women, and 1,235 wounded, according to a statement by the Palestinian Ministry of Health on Sunday evening.