A group of 14 Jerusalem men who turned in their Army reserve cards in protest against their economic plight, refused to take their cards back last night but said they would serve if called to duty. Eleven of the group turned up for a meeting with Maj. Gen. Shlomo Lahat, Chief of the Army’s manpower branch, who had invited all of the protestors for a talk at General Staff headquarters.
The General informed the reservists that they had broken Army regulations by turning in their cards. They told him they would report for duty if called but meanwhile they wanted their protest to be widely heard. The 14 protestors are all past the age for active military service and several are married.
They are not likely to be called for duty unless an emergency occurred. They claim that their economic situation has reached a point where they can no longer support themselves and their families. One of the group. Saleh Mizrachi, was asked by reporters what point there was in returning his card. He replied, “What else can I return to the government? This is all I got from it.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
