Over 110,000 Israelis sign petitions demanding Netanyahu end war

On September 1, 2024, a protest took place demanding that the Netanyahu government sign a deal with Hamas to release all the hostages from Gaza (Wikimedia Commons)

‘This is not disobedience – it’s a call to save lives,’ says the petition signed by thousands of Israelis

By Abdel Raouf Arnaout & Mohammad Sio & Ahmed Asmar, Reposted from Anadolu Agency, April 16, 2025

JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL

More than 110,000 Israelis, including military personnel, former police chiefs, and civilians, have signed petitions pressing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza and end the war on the Palestinian enclave.

Dubbed “petitions of disobedience” by the Israeli media, the movement began with a petition from Air Force personnel, including active, reserve, and retired members, some holding senior ranks.

The petitions uniformly demand the return of the estimated 59 Israeli hostages in Gaza, 24 of whom are believed to be still alive, and a ceasefire with the Palestinians.

The signatories, addressing Netanyahu, the Knesset (parliament), the military leadership, and the public, argue that the war’s stated goals – retrieving hostages and ensuring security – remain unachieved.

They warn that continued fighting serves Netanyahu’s “personal and political interests” rather than national security, risking the lives of hostages, soldiers, and civilians.

The petitions also highlight a 30%-40% rise in reserve soldiers’ absenteeism, signaling eroding morale, and stress that only a negotiated deal can secure the hostages’ release.

Deep crisis

One group of signatories from Israel’s Paratroopers brigade emphasized that their petition was not an act of insubordination.

“This is not a call to the army or its leadership. This is not disobedience – it’s a call to save lives. History has shown that only agreements bring the hostages home,” they wrote.

Signatories from Israel’s armored corps wrote: “This is not disobedience but a legitimate expression of citizens’ views – none of us are currently serving in the army.”

One of the strongest statements came from former Shin Bet officers, who said messages from their peers in the Air Force, Mossad, and the armored corps reflect “a deep crisis of confidence in the current government.”

“The government formed after October 7, 2023, has ignored the national interest in favor of narrow coalition politics. It has lost the public’s trust. Foreign elements have infiltrated the decision-making process. Expelling protesting reservists will not restore trust—it will deepen the divide,” they said.

They also called on Israeli citizens, business leaders, and civil society groups to demand new elections and a national commission of inquiry.

Anadolu documented 29 civilian petitions on the “Restart Israel” website, where Israelis can electronically sign after reviewing them. Approximately 10,000 reserve and army veterans signed eight petitions across various units, with signatures increasing nearly every minute, per the site.

The website highlighted that “over 110,000 have joined the pilots’ call for the return of the hostages and end the war.”

Specific civilian signatories include 62,909 citizens, 3,500 teachers, 3,500 academics, 2,000 parents of students, 1,500 parents of soldiers, 1,200 families of fallen soldiers, 364 lawyers, 14,687 mothers, 258 female doctors, 1,300 high-tech workers, 350 writers and poets, 131 artists and intellectuals, 472 engineers and urban planners, and 8,506 supporters of an air force reserve and veterans’ letter, according to the site.

Among military personnel, around 10,000 reserve and retired soldiers signed 15 open petitions, including 2,000 paratroopers and infantry, 1,700 armored corps members, 1,055 air force personnel, 1,000 intelligence unit members, 634 artillery personnel, 505 special forces members, 500 National Security College graduates, 300 general reservists, 300 Golani Brigade members, 230 Shayetet 13 naval commandos, 200 military doctors, 200 cyber unit graduates, 200 Talpiot program alumni, and 102 reconnaissance corps veterans. Additionally, 310 former Mossad operatives signed, while a Shin Bet veterans’ petition remains closed to public signing, per the site.

Notable signatories include former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, former Chief of Staff Dan Halutz, four ex-navy commanders (Ami Ayalon, Yedidia Ya’ari, Alex Tal, Dudu Ben-Besht), three former Flotilla 13 leaders (Ran Galinka, Uzi Livant, Tzvika Erez), two ex-artillery commanders (Avraham Bar David, Doron Kadmiel), and other senior ex-military figures like Amram Mitzna, Avi Mizrahi, Amos Malka, Amnon Reshef, Moshe Sukenik, Nimrod Sheffer, and Ilan Biran, according to the site.

Netanyahu’s threats

Facing mounting pressure, Netanyahu has accused military signatories of insubordination, threatening to dismiss them and alleging that foreign-funded groups are backing them to topple his coalition, which has been in power since late 2022.

He dismissed the petitioners as “a small, noisy, anarchistic and disconnected group of pensioners” and vowed to expel anyone inciting disobedience.

“These letters were written not in the name of our heroic soldiers. They were written by a small handful of fringe elements,” he said in a statement.

He claimed that the signatories were being funded by foreign organizations to dismantle Israel’s right-wing government.

“They are a small, noisy group of retirees who haven’t served in years. Disobedience is disobedience, no matter what you call it. Anyone who incites it will be dismissed immediately,” he warned.

Although the Air Force reservists’ petition made no explicit threat of insubordination, Air Force Commander Tomer Bar said signatories would not be allowed to continue serving and ordered the dismissal of active-duty reservists who signed.

The petitions follow the collapse of the first phase of a ceasefire and hostage-prisoner exchange deal that came into effect on Jan. 19, mediated by Qatar and Egypt with US support. Hamas adhered to the terms, but Netanyahu, facing pressure from his far-right coalition, refused to proceed to phase two, resuming military operations on March 18.

More than 51,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught since October 2023, most of them women and children.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

Abdel Raouf Arnaout is a journalist based in Jerusalem.

Mohammad Sio is the English correspondent at Anadolu Agency.

Ahmed Asmar is a journalist and a PhD candidate in International Relations.

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