U.S. military members discuss seeking conscientious objector status over support of Israel in Gaza
Two Air Force enlistees are requesting to become conscientious objectors over U.S. support of Israel, a decision they said was emboldened by the ongoing war in Gaza.
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U.S. airmen try to quit military over U.S. support of Israel in Gaza war
June 21, 2024, 7:04 PM EDT
By Katherine Doyle and Courtney Kube
The death of 6-year-old Hind Rajab in February after she was trapped under Israeli fire in Gaza sparked international condemnation — and for Larry Hebert Jr., an active duty U.S. airman, the incident accelerated his decision to seek conscientious objector status from the U.S. military.
“She looks almost just like my daughter, and that was something that was extremely hard to grasp, is that all these children that have aspirations and dreams and lives that many of us are living and want, and it’s wholly unjustified to support what’s happening,” said Hebert, who told NBC News in an interview that he worked directly on a U.S. operation to provide weapons sales to Israel.
After witnessing footage of death and destruction in Gaza, senior U.S. Airman Juan Bettancourt said he could no longer ignore the U.S. government’s role in the war, including its supply of weapons, diplomatic coverage and intelligence.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/us-military-members-conscientious-objector-status-israel-gaza-war-rcna158265