But you made many of us very proud. Until the army starts understanding the damage THEY have caused; until the government at very least takes care of the refugees - they deserve to be spat upon. The fact that ALL you did was not shake their hands shows what a good person you are - don't despair. It is our loss...because we lose a soldier of ethics and morality...something unknown in the government!

why is this news? IDF soldeirs shoot and kill for no reason everyday. why not but them on trail? trail for not shaking hand? israel is so hypocritical...professing virtues israel does not have.....in the end i agree. put his ass in jail cuz this guy is about to do more than just not shaking hands...kill pal maybe?

and wants his soliders to follow his "example". We deserve a COS with more brains than the ammunition he drops from his plane.

No Sir, I do not feel silly. The soldier can appeal, he will not win and I do not refute what you say about the law. Your mistake is that this is not a matter of law or rights but rather one of very heavy principal. The soldier in question also acted as he did in front of the President. Ever since I can remember, All of Israel has been united in holding the Presidency in high regard and in showing always the utmost respect for the serving President. When we stop doing this it will be a sad day. When one person does it as his own personal act this is bad enough, but when others start to agree with him this is very wrong. This soldeir offended the President and the Office of the Presidency.

Before the ethnic Jew cleansing, Islamo-Fascist religious supremacists rained down thousands of rockets and mortars on Gaza's Jewish communities. Most of the deported Jewish refugees from Gaza have been unable to get jobs. Many live in poverty in tents. The impoverished refugees are financially obligated to pay the mortgages on their homes that Israel destroyed. The Gaza surrender created Hamastan - a global base for terrorists. Jewish communities bordering Gaza, inside the green line, who thought they were secure, now live under the stress of a daily barrage of rockets from the ethnically Jew cleansed areas of Gaza. Ashkelon's power plant and chemical storage tanks are now vulnerable to Kassam rocket attacks, which if hit, could result in major damage to infrastructure and a large loss of human lives. Israel's leaders reveal their satisfaction with the results of the surrender to religious supremacists by declaring that Judea and Samaria is next. The surrender to the terrorists will place Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Israel's international airport within rocket firing range. Besides Israeli leaders' immorality of aiding and abetting Islamic terrorism and advancing global jihad, is this Israel's way of telling the world they don't want tourists?

According to the critics, everybody can do anything they want anywhere. Want to shout in a concert? Want to go through a red light? Want to tell your teacher, police officer, or army officer to go to hell....feel free. NO. The form of protest here was to refuse to participate in the ceremony. He wished not to shake hands, his form of 'protest', ruining the cermony for others and embarrassing the entire IDF, then let him be thrown out and take his consequences.

You got it right, this was not spontaneous, it was a premeditated act of rebellion aimed at attracting attention and causing pain to others, especially the President. He deserves all he gets and I only hope he learns a lesson from his miscalculated deed.

Israel's action abominable. It took real courage to do what Dayan did. He is a real hero.

Dear Yaacov, It is obvious that you were not displaced from your home and forced toi become a refugee in your own land. I hope and pray you will never know this and that Olmert will not decide to destroy your home and give it to the enemy. This young man is more of a hero than you could ever be. You don't know what pain is. You have no love of country or of the Jewish people. You are selfish cold.and uncaring. FEH!

How do you feel about these silly people being resposible for your protection?

Dear Hilda, you know me not but yet you conclude and attribute to me certain qualities, all of which are untrue, some of which are hurtful and others which are simply below. the belt. I do not intend here to defend myself but if you read all my posts regarding this affair you might have come to a different opinion. As regards the soldier in question, he acted wrongly and out of order and in a most derisive manor and there should be no excuse for this. I have feeling for him, totally empathize with him but that does not condone his actions. The below the belt bit, " you have no love of country or of the Jewish people ". If you knew even one tenth of my background you would not only not have said this but you would now apologize for having stated it. My family and that of my wife go back a long way in modern Zionism. Apart from them I have no greater love than Israel, with all that that word encompasses. I have nothing against you or the fact that you are in America and this has no bearing on what I am about to say. I have literally dedicated my life to Israel, putting country before family, I have spent more time in wars and trenches than you want to think about, and I have never ever disrespected a fellow soldier or officer. The IDF is the insurance policy of Israel and the Jewish people, this young man compromised the terms of that policy, this is dangerous. I am more right wing than you can imagine, but still I say he was wrong. I was a soldier who liberated Judea and Samaria in 1967, with sweat and tears and blood, but also with joy, but I still say he was wrong. I crossed the Suez canal on the night of 18th October 1973 and spent the next 5 months in the Egyptian desert, not because I was forced to but because I love my country and people, and still I say he was wrong. There is nothing I would not do for Israel, including laying down my life, I do not need lessons in loyalty from anybody. The whole point is ,Hilda that one thing has nothing to do with the other. Democracy and rights terminate abruptly when you wear uniform, especially for the country you love, and you show respect to your superior officers. No, Hilda, I have never been expelled from my home but I have experienced many traumas in my life, including some I would not like to detail to anybody, but I have always overcome. Sorry for the long essay but you hit me low, very low. Best wishes.

Very easy for people who lived in Gaza because of their own ideals to say this boy is a hero. NO. HE. IS. NOT. Why should our boys be killed in Gaza protecting settlements? Yes, I feel slightly sorry for them that they are displaced. But I'm delighted that none of our soldiers have to go there and guard a group of fanatics anymore. He just disgraced himself by not shaking hands. He serves in the IDF, he was given orders he had loads of time to protest. Kick him out and be done with it.

Evarech otcha ha shem, shabat shalom.

way - it's the discipline that is at cause - and it starts at the bottom to the very top

You said: become a refugee in your own land.......... Hilda poeple moved within their own land for security reasons - or what the government sees fit - are legally NOT refugees. A refugee is somebody who seeks or takes refuge in a foreign country, especially to avoid war or persecution.

your service ot Israel - since it is a service for ALL us Jews to still have roots May G-d bless you and your family and your steadfast support Shalom oubraha

Thank you 45, thank you Gabrielle.

YOU HILDA SHOULD APOLOGIZE TO YAKOV/HOW COMFORTABLE TO OPINIONATE FROM THE USA!COME HERE(WE DO NOT NEED YOU BUT IT'S JUST TO..) AND SEEING AND FEELING ,NOT JUST READING,WILL GIVE YOU A RIGHT TO TALK/ AND LESS TO INSULT

everything has just been blown out of proportion,i belive he was making a personal statement ,i belive it was the right thing in removing the settlers i belive soldiers should not have to protect them like sitting ducks but i also feel he has the right to feel the pain that i know he and his family are going through and if by handing a letter instead of a hand shake is so threatening to our army thay should ask themselves if he was an unthinking zombieand felt nothing would he still be reciving the award for excellence he is a very good soldier he never let his feeling interfere with his duties,give him a brake and try to be an army that allows for the human factor understanding

that discipline is part of any armed services It is part of the respect Your emotions cannot interfer into discipline no matter what you feel there is a conduct you adhere to and you don't bring political views and emotions into your duty. We all have feelings - we all have emotions - but there is a place for such - that's what we expect of our soldiers no matter what rank - no matter which forces - it is part of respect

If shaking hands is not a military order, all soldiers have to accept the chains of command, from their superiors.

To a barbaric father who should be jailed for life. If his actions are effecitve, he is a murdered just like Amir. if its a nonsense bla bla, it is till a call for a kill. let the son serve time with the father unilt the messaiah comes!