Gideon Raff—Former Israeli Paratrooper—Joins PETA in Urging Panetta to Modernize Military's Medical Training
For Immediate Release:
December 10, 2012
Contact:
Wendy Wegner 202-483-7382
Los Angeles -- Homeland executive producer and writer Gideon Raff—who served for three years as a paratrooper in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)—is the latest high-profile military veteran to join PETA's campaign against the U.S. military's deadly use of animals in cruel and archaic medical training exercises. In a letter sent today on PETA's behalf to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta (available here), the Emmy Award winner urges the U.S. military to switch to the high-tech human simulators that most military institutions—including the IDF—use to teach lifesaving skills. These simulators have been shown to teach these skills better than crude animal-based exercises.
"I have the utmost concern for the health and security of the heroic service members—like those portrayed on my shows Homeland and Prisoners of War—who risk their lives to protect our safety and freedom," writes Raff. "But the U.S. Department of Defense is not saving soldiers' lives by shooting, dismembering, blowing up, and killing thousands of animals each year for crude medical training drills."
Raff also sat down for an exclusive video interview with PETA in which he discusses Homeland, his decision to go vegan, cruel monkey experiments that he's fighting in Israel, and the use of animals in entertainment, among other topics. Raff joins a growing list of famous military veterans—including Oliver Stone and Bob Barker—who have spoken out against the military's war on animals.
For more information and to view Raff's video, please visit PETA.org.