Aviv Geffen refuses Gaza petition, defends IDF soldiers

Israeli rock musician Aviv Geffen has declined to sign a widely publicized petition from more than 1,000 Israeli cultural figures calling for an immediate halt to what the document describes as “atrocities in Gaza.”

While agreeing on the need to end the war and secure the release of all hostages, Geffen said the petition wrongly casts Israel as the sole aggressor. “The petition frames Israel as the criminal party in Gaza and that’s simply not true,” he told Ynet. “I will not sign something that condemns even one soldier defending the country.”

The letter, signed by prominent artists including Geffen’s sister, filmmaker Shira Geffen, her husband, writer Etgar Keret, and performers such as Chava Alberstein, Gidi Gov, Oshik Levi, and Sasson Gabai, urges Israel’s leaders to stop military operations in Gaza, avoid what it calls violations of international law, and reject illegal orders. It says the signatories “find themselves complicit” in civilian casualties, displacement, and the destruction of cities.

Geffen—once exempt from military service has in recent years volunteered on army bases and voiced strong public support for the Israel Defense Forces. “The IDF is a moral army,” he said. “It’s made up of our sons and daughters. I have stood at too many graves with families who lost everything in a moment.”

Although he is a vocal critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Geffen said his backing for soldiers remains unshaken. “I won’t back down or speak against them.”

Actor and singer Idan Amedi, himself wounded while serving as a reservist in Gaza, also rejected the petition, aligning with Geffen’s stance.

In a cultural sphere often divided over politics, Geffen’s decision underscores a line he will not cross: criticizing those he sees as defending Israel’s survival.

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